Shams Charania (/ˈʃɑːmz/ SHAHMZ; born April 1, 1994) is an American sports reporter for ESPN, where he covers the NBA. He previously worked for The Athletic, Stadium and FanDuel TV.
Shams Charania | |
|---|---|
.png) Charania in 2023 | |
| Born | April 1, 1994 |
| Education | Loyola University Chicago |
| Occupation | Sports reporter |
Early life
editCharania was born in Chicago to Pakistani Ismaili Muslim parents who had immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s.[1] He was raised in Wilmette, Illinois and attended New Trier High School. He graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2017.[2]
Career
editHe began his sportswriting career at age 17 covering the Chicago Bulls for ChicagoNow, a subsidiary of the Chicago Tribune. In 2012, Charania began writing for RealGM, and reporting small transactions around the league.[citation needed] After several years, Charania caught the attention of Adrian Wojnarowski, then working for Yahoo Sports.[citation needed]
After joining Yahoo, Charania began to break news of deals and high-profile signings in the summer of 2016,[3] including Dwight Howard's move to the Atlanta Hawks, DeMar DeRozan's re-signing with the Toronto Raptors, Luol Deng's signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, and Jamal Crawford's signing with the Los Angeles Clippers.[4] This set off a friendly rivalry between Wojnarowski and Charania.[5]
On August 14, 2018, Shams announced via his Twitter account he would be leaving Yahoo Sports for The Athletic and Stadium at the end of the month.[6] In 2023, Charania reported the first three picks of the 2023 NFL draft on Twitter ahead of even NFL insiders, causing many users on the platforms to post memes in response.[7]
Charania was a paid contributor for the sports gambling company FanDuel.[8][9] His work for the company, alongside his work as a reporter, has been described[by whom?] as a conflict of interest, as his reporting can shift betting odds and potentially reveal pertinent info to FanDuel.[10]
On October 7, 2024, Charania announced that he would be joining ESPN as the company's Senior NBA Insider.[11] He replaced Wojnarowski, who left the role to become General Manager of the St. Bonaventure Men's Basketball program.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Two Ismailis chose the path less traveled – a career in sports journalism". The.Ismaili. November 20, 2019.
- ^ Sprung, Shlomo. "The Rise And Evolution Of Shams Charania". Forbes. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Russell, Jake (June 25, 2016). "'The Vertical' NBA draft show live stream was a huge hit with fans. Sorry, ESPN". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
- ^ "Meet Shams Charania, the College Senior Breaking NBA News in Class". Complex. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
- ^ "Adrian Wojnarowski And Shams Charania Now Do Battle For NBA Scoops". UPROXX. July 13, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
- ^ "Twitter". August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- ^ Taylor, Cody (April 27, 2023). "Twitter reacts to NBA reporter Shams Charania tipping NFL draft picks". USA Today. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
- ^ "A Reporter's Tweet Moved NBA Draft Odds. He Also Works for a Gambling Company". Wall Street Journal. 2023.
- ^ Dator, James (July 2, 2024). "Shams Charania's conflict of interest keeps swinging NBA gambling markets". SBNation.com.
- ^ Strauss, Ben (June 23, 2023). "FanDuel makes betting lines. FanDuel's Shams Charania moves them". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286.
- ^ Charania, Shams (October 7, 2024). "Post".
- ^ "Shams Charania to Become ESPN's Senior NBA Insider". SI. October 7, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.