J. A. Adande

J. A. Adande
Born1970 (age 53–54)
Los Angeles, California, U.S
Alma materNorthwestern University
EmployerNorthwestern University
TitleDirector of Sports Journalism

J.A. Adande (/əˈdɑːndeɪ/; born 1970)[1] is an American sportswriter, commentator and educator, who currently serves as the Director of Sports Journalism at Northwestern University.[2]

Early life and education

Adande was born in Los Angeles, to Desire Adande and Elizabeth Oberstein, a dance professor at El Camino College.[3] Oberstein died in 2020, after her battle with cancer.[4] Adande's grandfather, Gerson "Gus" Oberstein (1914-2003), was a violinist who had played with jazzmen Joe Roland and Charlie Parker, and with the Berkeley Symphony for twenty years.[5]

Adande attended Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California, where he served as sports editor and co-editor-in-chief of the student newspaper and graduated in 1988.[2]

Adande earned a BA in journalism from Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 1992.[6][3] He was sports editor of The Daily Northwestern, the student newspaper, and interned with Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, and Washington Post.[2]

Career

After graduating from Northwestern, Adande held full-time reporter jobs at the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun-Times, and Washington Post.[2]

From 2004 to 2015, he taught sports journalism classes at the University of Southern California.[3]

Adande joined ESPN.com as an NBA columnist in August 2007. The panel at Around the Horn all congratulated him on the job and played a joke "Buy or Sell" segment about Adande's comments about joining ESPN. He was an NBA analyst on SportsCenter.[7]

He was a regular panelist on ESPN's Around The Horn (ATH), starting in 2007, and after a period away, returned as a panelist in January 2018. He was formerly an American sports columnist and sideline reporter who covered the National Basketball Association for ESPN, and was also a regular guest host on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption television shows.[8] Adande is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, and also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Journalism.[9][10]

Adande announced via Twitter in August 2017 that he was relocating to Chicago and becoming director of the new sports journalism program at Northwestern University, as well as a faculty member of the Medill School of Journalism.[11]

During his time at ESPN, Adande covered the Olympic Games, Wimbledon, the Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four, and the NBA Finals.[12]

Adande was honored as the 2024 Curt Gowdy Print Media Award Recipient from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[13]


References

  1. ^ "J.A. Adande". Rotten Tomatoes.
  2. ^ a b c d Alumni Profiles: J.A. Adande ’88. Crossroads allowed him to develop his voice. Crossroads School.
  3. ^ a b c Sherman, Ed (February 8, 2017). After a decade at ESPN, J.A. Adande has found his next act. Poynter.
  4. ^ Adande, J.A. (June 28, 2000). Mom Fought Like a True Champ. Los Angeles Times.
  5. ^ "OBERSTEIN, Gerson". SFGate. August 17, 2003.
  6. ^ University, Medill-Northwestern. "J.A. Adande - Medill - Northwestern University". www.medill.northwestern.edu. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  7. ^ J.A. Adande, ESPNLosAngeles.com, January 25, 2010
  8. ^ "J.A. Adande leaving ESPN". SI.com. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  9. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ "USC School of Journalism - Adjunct Faculty" Archived November 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on October 28, 2009.
  11. ^ J.A. Adande leaves ESPN after a decade for Northwestern Chicago Tribune, 8-10-17
  12. ^ "ESPN.com: EOE". Espn.com. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  13. ^ "Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces recipients for 2024 Curt Gowdy Media Award". NBA.com. Retrieved February 22, 2024.