Zach Lowe has a powerful argument for being the most effective sportswriter in America proper now. After all, sportswriter solely partially describes Lowe’s position at ESPN over the past a number of years: he’s been a staple on tv as a panelist on NBA At present, and he hosts the most effective podcast protecting the league, The Lowe Publish. Throughout a time when sports activities media feels prefer it’s 80 p.c screaming speaking heads or goal clickbait, Lowe was in a position to cowl the NBA by means of an analytical and tactical lens that by no means felt too pretentious for the on a regular basis fan, whereas additionally doing authentic reporting.
On Thursday, ESPN made the shocking determination to put off Lowe simply weeks forward of the opening of the 2024-2025 NBA season. I say shocking and never gorgeous, as a result of: a) ESPN has been shedding quite a lot of workers recently, b) nobody in sports activities media can declare to have actual job safety. Nonetheless, letting go of somebody as proficient and standard as Lowe simply because he was deservingly paid a excessive wage is an especially upsetting determination for the corporate that claims to be the worldwide chief in sports activities.
As my previous pal Tom Ziller astutely identified, ESPN simply shelled out billions of {dollars} to be included within the league’s subsequent media rights deal. You’ll assume an organization that has a big monetary curiosity in getting folks excited in regards to the NBA would need to preserve round an excellent but affable analyst who was at all times uncovering new issues to get enthusiastic about across the league. Sadly, that might be giving ESPN an excessive amount of credit score.
Lowe is your favourite basketball author’s favourite basketball author. A former highschool instructor turned crime reporter, Lowe received his massive break in sports activities writing when he was employed to run Sports activities Illustrated’s Level Ahead weblog. A pair years later he was employed by Invoice Simmons’ legendary Grantland website, the place he absolutely emerged because the NBA’s most important author. Lowe was one of many first on-line basketball writers to interrupt down offensive units and defensive coverages like a coach would. He has at all times had a seamless capacity to combine analytics into his writing and podcasting with out going over the top of the reader and listener. Lately, on-line basketball writing is full of many Lowe proteges, although few do it in addition to he does.
Lowe by no means misplaced his curiosity as he juggled his rising duties at ESPN after Grantland shut down. He’s a nerd in the very best means, diving into the trivia of the league and the storylines effervescent beneath the floor for all 30 groups. He’s additionally a wonderful reporter: his final podcast for ESPN that includes new Los Angeles Lakers coach J.J. Redick was a clinic on how one can ask robust questions on the document and drive insightful solutions out of your topics (Redick divulged his beginning lineup and the way he coped with the Lakers’ curiosity in Danny Hurley, amongst different matters).
Whilst he blew up into an enormous title with legit sources, Lowe nonetheless had the center of an underdog. When he wasn’t bringing present coaches and gamers on his podcast, he would come with a pleasant mixture of massive J journalists with upstart bloggers. It was so heartwarming to see him give his massive platform to sensible analysts like Caitlin Cooper, Mike Prada, Nekias Duncan, and Steve Jones through the years. The Lowe Publish toed the road between being entertaining and informative with out ever feeling like its host had an inflated ego.
On a private be aware, I used to be at all times grateful Lowe devoted air time to eulogize my pal Jonathan Tjarks, who tragically handed of most cancers two years in the past. Lowe used the opening of his podcast to element what made Tjarks such an incisive author with a novel eye for the sport. I’m sure nobody was asking Lowe to do this, however he did it as a result of Tjarks’ life and work deserved extra recognition. That’s simply the form of man Lowe is.
There are too many nice Lowe items to select from as a favourite. I fondly recall his breakdown of the Monty Williams-era Phoenix Suns’ devastating pick-and-roll assault, or his deep dive into how the Thunder put the 73-win Warriors on the heels. As Lowe transitioned to doing extra podcasting and tv, his written breakdowns grew to become rather less frequent. It appeared like he was urged by ESPN to speak in regards to the Los Angeles Lakers or potential offseason motion extra typically in recent times. One potential silver lining of his ESPN departure is that he might really feel extra empowered to chase the matters he’s actually enthusiastic about at his subsequent dwelling.
ESPN’s determination is infuriating for NBA followers who like good protection, however Lowe himself might be high-quality. He’ll both rapidly land a job protecting the league for one more outlet, or perhaps he’ll be a part of a workforce’s entrance workplace. As a fan of the eternally hopeless Chicago Bulls, let me use this chance to beg them to fireside Arturas Karnisovas and rent Lowe as an alternative.
ESPN nonetheless had loads of good basketball protection, however shedding Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski in the identical offseason goes to harm. Subsequent time you flip in your tv and there’s two speaking heads spewing loud nonsense about basketball, simply understand it didn’t must be this manner.