Three days ago ESPN hired Shams Charania as their new NBA insider and he wasted little time landing some breaking news to share on one of the network’s biggest shows.
Making his first-ever appearance on First Take, Shams had not one but two NBA news bombs to drop in front of Stephen A. Smith’s eyes.
First he announced that three-time NBA champion Danny Green is retiring after 15 seasons in the NBA. Shams said that Green will begin a second career in media along with other “off-court ventures he’s going to be focusing his time on.”
“This is my first time on your show, I do have news for you to start my segment, my First Take career,” Shams said, via Awful Announcing. “I have news for you: 15-year NBA veteran Danny Green tells me that he is retiring from basketball. He is one of four NBA players ever to have championships with three different teams; 2014 with the Spurs, 2019 with the Raptors, 2020 with the Lakers. He shot 40 percent [from 3-point range] for his career, All-Defensive Team. He is retiring, he told me that. And this obviously, for him, we wish him nothing but the best. He does have some ventures, he’s going to be doing media. He has multiple other off-court ventures he’s going to be focusing his time on.”
Shams Charania wasted no time dropping his first ShamsBomb on First Take. pic.twitter.com/mWfYZjvh72
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 10, 2024
The second bomb Shams dropped had to do with the New York Knicks’ shocking trade for Karl-Anthony Towns. Shams revealed that center Mitchell Robinson has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2024 calendar year with an injury – a revelation which prompted the team to make the trade in the first place.
“The Knicks, they needed a [center],” he added. “And a lot of that is because Mitchell Robinson — and Stephen, I don’t want to break your heart so early — but I’m told he will be out for the remainder of the calendar year in 2024…It might be bad news on the front end, but he is aiming to make his return (in January).”
Smith was shocked that Shams was able to make two huge reports in the span of a few days on the job:
“I knew you’d bring me bad news, Shams!” Smith, a diehard Knicks fan, interrupted. “How long you been here? Three minutes and you’re bringing me bad news already?”
ESPN certainly seemed to get a proper replacement for Adrian Wojnarowski.
Related: Adrian Wojnarowski Has Classy Reaction To Shams Charania Replacing Him At ESPN