ESPN may have experienced a mass exodus of sorts with on-air talent over the past year, but the network knows better than to allow its most respected NFL reporter to walk out the door.
Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated reports that Schefter has signed a five-year contract extension with ESPN, and the longtime NFL insider will be taking part in some new endeavors. In addition to launching a new podcast, Schefter is going to dabble in NBA sideline reporting.
That’s right, basketball.
In an interview with Deitsch on Wednesday, Schefter made it clear that he has no intention of stepping on the toes of Marc Stein, Brian Windhorst or any other ESPN NBA insider. Rather than the Adam Schefter of football becoming the Adam Schefter of basketball, Schefter is a legitimate fan of the NBA and wants to try something new.
“I went from knowing nothing about the NBA a couple of years ago to knowing every player on every roster,” he said. “It’s become a side hobby and the bosses are aware of that. I want to make it very clear in no way am I looking to infringe on the turf of someone like Doris Burke, Rachel Nichols, J.A. Adande, Marc Stein or anyone else. They do a great job. That’s not what this is about. I could never do their jobs. This is just me doing an assignment where it will be 100 percent fun to me. My job is great but it is also intense and relentless.”
Schefter has become a huge fan of playing fantasy basketball, and Deitsch notes he often reaches out to Windhorst and Antonio Davis to talk NBA hoops. Schefter also speaks with Chris Paul occasionally, who asks the reporter for fantasy football advice while Schefter picks Paul’s brain about the NBA.
Coincidentally, Schefter recently got into it with an NBA star on Twitter over one of Schefter’s takes on last week’s Broncos-Chiefs game.
There’s no one more connected in NFL circles than Schefter, so he probably named his price with ESPN. If standing on an NBA court with a microphone for a few games was one of his demands, the World Wide Leader was happy to fulfill it.
