NBA insider Shams Charania says 24/7 grind makes relationships ‘very hard’

ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania says the grind of his job has taken a toll on his personal life.

Speaking on ESPN’s “The Sports Reporters” with Jeremy Schaap, MLB insider Jeff Passan and NFL insider Adam Schefter, Charania described what it’s like to work in a business that rarely stops.

“I’ve had to walk out on dates, like I’ve had to walk out on a lot of social events,” Charania said, via the New York Post. “My friends don’t really like me. That’s why it’s very hard to have a consistent relationship because you know the time that requires and you know the time that they deserve, rightfully. And there are just moments where I’m just always going to choose this as of right now.”

Passan, who is married with children, urged Charania to eventually find a way to balance life and work.

“There needs to be something else … whether you find that something else in kids or otherwise, you gotta find it because this job will kill you,” Passan said.

Schefter added that he enjoys rare moments of peace when he can get through a show or stream without a phone call.

Charania, who lives in Chicago, said spending time with his family offers some relief — even if he is not fully unplugged. He recalled lasting just 10 minutes in a family pickleball game before NBA free agency started, then pacing the court for nearly an hour while on the phone.

“My family is gracious enough where as long as I’m in their presence, they don’t make me feel bad,” he said. “Having those types of people around me allows me to keep going.”

Charania began chasing NBA news in college while friends were going out, and what started as a dream of playing in the league became a passion for reporting.

In a 2022 interview with the Post, he said he was not interested in starting a family because his schedule is 24/7/365 and leaves little time for himself.

“I look at myself now, and I can’t even imagine having a wife or child,” Charania told the Post at the time. “I’m sure, one day, my priorities might change, but right now it’s work, work, work, family, work, work. That’s what consumes my mind.”

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