ESPN Reporter Suspended for Crude Email to Senator

Star NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski got in hot water this week for sending a profane email to a senator—but Wojnarowski is also getting his share of support among NBA players, Yahoo! Sports reports. The story broke Friday on OutKick when Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) tweeted a screenshot of Wojnarowski's email, adding, "Don't criticize #China or express support for law enforcement to @espn. It makes them real mad." Wojnarowski's email: "F--- you. Sent from my iPhone." Wojnarowski was reacting to Hawley's criticism of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for allowing social-justice messages on jerseys, but not messages defending law enforcement or denouncing China's Communist Party, per the Washington Post.

Wojnarowski apologized, tweeting in part that "I was disrespectful and I made a regrettable mistake," but discontent is still brewing. For starters, ESPN suspended Wojnarowski from traveling to Florida to report on the NBA season's reboot. For his part, Hawley tweeted that ESPN should report more on the NBA's "pro-China, anti-America bias" instead of suspending Wojnarowski. And prominent NBA figures defended Wojnarowski, with Los Angeles Clippers Coach Doc Rivers saying that "we will do things for the troops as long as [Hawley] acknowledges #BlackLivesMatter." Players, meanwhile, are embracing the new hashtag #FreeWoj. Wojnarowski is expected to eventually return to his job covering the NBA in Orlando. (See what the NBA/China business is all about.)