As ESPN’s senior NBA insider, it is Adrian Wojnarowski’s responsibility to absorb and report any relevant information about the NBA. Sometimes, Wojnarowski can move too quickly for his own good. His recent report breaking the news about the No. 2 NBA Draft prospect in ESPN’s Class of 2024 rankings, Dylan Harper, is the latest example.
Yesterday afternoon, Wojnarowski posted on social media that Harper is committing to play for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The issue isn’t that Wojnarowski reported the news, but that he did it before Harper and his family had a chance to announce it publicly themselves, which rubbed Harper’s father the wrong way.
Harper’s father, Ron Harper, former NBA player and five-time NBA Champion as a member of the Chicago Bulls, took to X (also known as Twitter) to air out his frustrations with Wojnarowski,
“That was some BS that you pull today @wojespn I will catch up with you oneday I promise…” Harper said in a cryptic post on X. He also described Wojnarowski’s actions as “lame.”
It’s understandable why Harper and the rest of his family are upset about this. Harper has worked tirelessly throughout his life to get to this moment where he can finally announce where he intends to expedite his journey to becoming a professional basketball player, only to have it spoiled by an NBA insider.
Instances like this serve as a reminder that there is a human element to journalism and reporting that can often be overlooked.
