Brian Windhorst
Encyclopedia
Brian Windhorst, also known as "Windy" or "Scoop", (born January 29, 1978) is an American
sportswriter for ESPN.com
who covers the National Basketball Association
(NBA). He was the Cleveland Cavaliers
beat writer for the Akron Beacon Journal
from 2003 through the summer of 2008, and began to work for Cleveland newspaper The Plain Dealer in October 2008. He moved to ESPN in 2010 after LeBron James
left the Cleveland Cavaliers
for the Miami Heat
.
He picked up the nickname Scoop at the Beacon Journal when he was working as a part-timer. He would bring in news items on local high schools, eventually earning the nickname Scoop.
Windhorst attended high school in Akron, Ohio
at St. Vincent - St. Mary High School
, the same school that James would later attend, and graduated from Kent State University
with a degree in journalism in 2000. Windhorst began covering James during his high school playing career, and began covering the Cavaliers in 2003, the year that James was drafted. While James was the youngest player in the NBA, Windhorst was the youngest traveling NBA beat writer. In 2007 he co-wrote The Franchise: LeBron James and the Remaking of the Cleveland Cavaliers with renowned sports columnist Terry Pluto
. His writing at The Plain Dealer was honored by the United States Basketball Writers Association
for Best Game Story in 2009, and by the Associated Press
.
In 2010, Windhorst left the Plain Dealer for ESPN to cover James' new team, the Miami Heat
. Prior to leaving The Plain Dealer, he contributed columns to ESPN.com and made appearances on ESPN First Take
. In an interview, Windhorst stated that "obviously LeBron's a huge factor" in his decision to join ESPN, and also that the Cavaliers "need to move on" without James.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sportswriter for ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
who covers the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). He was the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
beat writer for the Akron Beacon Journal
Akron Beacon Journal
The Akron Beacon Journal is a four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States, and published by Black Press Ltd.. It is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper places a strong emphasis on local news and business...
from 2003 through the summer of 2008, and began to work for Cleveland newspaper The Plain Dealer in October 2008. He moved to ESPN in 2010 after LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
left the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
for the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
.
He picked up the nickname Scoop at the Beacon Journal when he was working as a part-timer. He would bring in news items on local high schools, eventually earning the nickname Scoop.
Windhorst attended high school in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
at St. Vincent - St. Mary High School
St. Vincent - St. Mary High School
St. Vincent – St. Mary High School is a private, coed, Catholic high school located in Akron, Ohio. The school is commonly abbreviated SVSM, St. V-M, ASVSM, or STVM. However, the school's official abbreviation is STVM...
, the same school that James would later attend, and graduated from Kent State University
Kent State University
Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...
with a degree in journalism in 2000. Windhorst began covering James during his high school playing career, and began covering the Cavaliers in 2003, the year that James was drafted. While James was the youngest player in the NBA, Windhorst was the youngest traveling NBA beat writer. In 2007 he co-wrote The Franchise: LeBron James and the Remaking of the Cleveland Cavaliers with renowned sports columnist Terry Pluto
Terry Pluto
Terry Pluto is an award-winning sportswriter who primarily writes columns for The Plain Dealer, and formerly for the Akron Beacon Journal about Cleveland sports and religion. He has been named Ohio Sportswriter of the Year eight times...
. His writing at The Plain Dealer was honored by the United States Basketball Writers Association
United States Basketball Writers Association
The United States Basketball Writers Association was founded in 1956 by Walter Byers and serves the interests of journalists who cover college basketball.-Scholarships:...
for Best Game Story in 2009, and by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
.
In 2010, Windhorst left the Plain Dealer for ESPN to cover James' new team, the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
. Prior to leaving The Plain Dealer, he contributed columns to ESPN.com and made appearances on ESPN First Take
ESPN First Take
ESPN First Take is an American morning sports talk program on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD. The show was formerly known as Cold Pizza. The official switch was made on May 7, 2007. Two back-to-back two-hour episodes air each weekday from Monday through Friday, with the live episode airing from 10 a.m...
. In an interview, Windhorst stated that "obviously LeBron's a huge factor" in his decision to join ESPN, and also that the Cavaliers "need to move on" without James.
External links
- Brian Windhorst ESPN story archive
- "Stories of LeBron and sportswriter intertwined, tangled", St. Petersburg TimesSt. Petersburg TimesThe St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
, 21 November 2010 - profile of Windhorst by Michael KruseMichael KruseMichael Kruse , LL.B , MCL is the Chief Justice of American Samoa.-Personal:... - A sample chapter from the book LeBron James: The Making of an MVP by Terry Pluto and Brian Windhorst
- A sample chapter from the book The Franchise by Terry Pluto and Brian Windhorst