Shams Charania Writes Loving Note as Ex-ESPN Rival Adrian Wojnarowski Enters Hall of Fame

Almost a year ago, when ESPN’s gem, Adrian Wojnarowski, stepped away as the senior insider, his former colleague took over. Shams Charania, the then-insider for The Athletic, soon took over Woj. He turned the broadcasting giant’s studios into his usual playground. But those roots from his days at Yahoo Sports? He still remembers them.

Once Woj’s teammate at Yahoo Sports, Shams Charania now makes headlines as ESPN’s insider rival. But on Thursday, something grand turned the blockbuster news-breaking X handle into a place for tribute. The ever iconic Adrian Wojnarowski is now a Curt Gowdy Hall of Famer.

Therefore, Charania, adding a picture of himself with Woj from their Yahoo days, wrote:

“Huge congrats to @wojespn on the Curt Gowdy Hall of Fame award. You set the example and raised the bar for everyone. I will always cherish our time working together. It was truly an honor learning from you, and all of your advice is appreciated to this day.”

Well, the 31-year-old Shams is indeed Wojnarowski’s heir to ESPN’s legacy. Sure thing, ‘Woj bombs’ don’t drop anymore, yet, Charania’s wheel of information, from Luka Doncic’s blockbuster trade earlier this year, to the recent ones like Cam Thomas’s contract with the Brooklyn Nets, he’s doing everything in style.

Meanwhile, this time last year, Charania dropped a one-word message to express his gratitude for ESPN and the legendary insider for the post he was about to take over. “Honored,” Charania tweeted. At the same time, Woj went back to his alma mater, St. Bonaventure, ditching a $7 million annual salary. Well, it was mostly the demise of NFL reporter Chris Mortensen due to throat cancer, and his own diagnosis of prostate cancer that changed his way of looking at life.

Yet, nothing could ever subdue his contribution to the world of journalism and the NBA. Therefore, when he was honored with the Curt Gowdy HOF award, his former colleague, Shams Charania, couldn’t keep calm.

What is the Curt Gowdy Hall of Fame Award that Shams Charania’s former colleague received?

The Curt Gowdy Hall of Fame Award carries the name of a man who could turn any game into a national event with the weight of his voice. For five decades across all three major networks, Curt Gowdy embodied authority, charm, and cowboy grit. He called football, baseball, basketball, the Olympics, and outdoor shows, lending his baritone to the greatest moments in sports history with unmatched presence.

Created by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees, this award honors those in print and electronic media whose work elevated basketball’s story. Gowdy himself led the Hall as president for seven consecutive years. With his 13 Emmys, a Peabody, and a lifetime of calling iconic games, his legacy now shines through the very award that immortalizes media excellence.

Curt Gowdy’s name may grace the award, but this moment belongs to Adrian Wojnarowski and the tribute that followed. The legendary insider, once the face of ESPN scoops, now stands immortal as a Hall of Famer. And right behind him, Shams Charania, his onetime Yahoo teammate and now rival torchbearer, tips his hat. It feels like the circle of storytelling, passing from one giant to the next.