ESPN made an interesting move on Thursday, parting ways with longtime NBA writer Zach Lowe.
Lowe was initially part of Bill Simmons' "Grantland," where he earned a devoted fanbase with his passionate and dedicated work on pro basketball.
Fans enjoyed Lowe's appreciation for the game, and his insistence on discussing what happened between the lines instead of narratives or hot takes.
Lowe was laid off on Thursday after more than ten years at ESPN, and many fans believe there's a reason behind the move to let him go.
"ESPN doesn't want knowledgable, sensible personalities. They want loud, obnoxious, hot take artists who can gain traction on social media," said OddsShark's Chris Walder.
"This is ridiculous. Zach Lowe is one of the best basketball writers on the planet."
"If Zach Lowe doesn't deserve to be employed by your company then no one does. It's like month by month we're watching the company that used to define sports media wither away into nothing of substance," another fan said.
NBA University called Lowe's firing an "all-time bad decision," saying that he was the best part of the network's NBA coverage.
"From what I've seen and read out of him, I *do* know that Zach Lowe literally never misses. Just an awful move by ESPN," one fan said.
"ESPN used to be a place for journalism and now it's a place of entertainment. We need to accept that," another fan noted.
"ESPN has seemingly no interest in genuine sports journalism or analysis anymore; sensationalism & outrage are the new business model. It's sad watching a network I grew up with become almost unrecognizable," one fan added.
"This is like the Justice League firing Superman," said another fan.
"Good dude with actual good content loses his job so guys like Stephen A can continue to be overpaid," one fan said.
Many fans have advocated for Lowe to reunite with Simmons at The Ringer following his firing from ESPN. We'll see if that happens prior to the 2024-25 NBA season, but it's clear that Lowe's analysis and writing will be missed at the "worldwide leader."
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