ESPN's Stephen A. Smith was as shocked as the rest of the NBA world by Adrian Wojnarowski's surprise retirement as a reporter, as Wojnarowski now moves into a new field of basketball administration as the new general manager of St. Bonaventure men's basketball.

Smith has worked closely with Wojnarowski over the years in their NBA coverage with the network, and Smith, while disappointed, couldn't be happier for his colleague and friend.

"I've gotten to know Woj over the last couple of years working on NBA Countdown. He's the best in the business, make no mistake about it," Smith said. "Nobody's more well-connected, nobody's more well-respected. To be around him and to be able to touch on a wealth of knowledge that he's had in all his years covering the league, the context that he has, the inside information that he's had... He's led this place for quite a long time. There are many, many occasions where we won't go on the air and report something unless we hear from Woj first. He's meant that much to this place. He's a part of this institution...the best in the business, absolutely exceptional, a high-end professional, he's got my profound respect. ...I'm happy for him, but I'm sad for us as a network because it's a devastating loss for us not to have him."

Wojnarowski, a 1991 graduate of St. Bonaventure, will now move on to a different stage of his professional career while still being intimately involved with the game of basketball. ESPN's loss is college basketball's gain.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Stephen A. Smith Reacts to Adrian Wojnarowski's Sudden Departure From ESPN.

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