ESPN Signs Veteran NBA Writer Ben Golliver to Multi-Year Deal

Acclaimed basketball journalist and Bubbleball author joins ESPN as national NBA senior writer
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As ESPN continues to expand its NBA coverage across television, streaming, digital, and social platforms, the network is adding another major voice to its basketball reporting lineup. Veteran NBA journalist Ben Golliver has officially signed a multi-year deal with ESPN.

What’s Happening:

  • Golliver joins ESPN after more than a decade covering the NBA on the national stage, bringing with him extensive experience in reporting, longform storytelling, feature writing, and league analysis. 
  • Based in Los Angeles, he will contribute across ESPN.com and the company’s broader portfolio of NBA coverage.

  • The move marks another significant addition for ESPN as the network continues strengthening its basketball coverage during a transformative era for the league. With the NBA evolving through new media landscapes, expanding global audiences, and an increasingly year-round news cycle, experienced reporters with deep league relationships and feature-writing backgrounds have become more valuable than ever.
  • Before joining ESPN, Golliver most recently worked for The Washington Post, where he covered the NBA nationally. His career also includes previous stops at Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports, while his journalism career began in 2007 covering the Portland Trail Blazers.
  • Over the years, Golliver has become known for blending in-depth reporting with detailed analysis and feature storytelling that explores the personalities and culture surrounding the NBA. His work has earned recognition from the Associated Press Sports Editors, while his profile on Caitlin Clark was selected for The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2024.

  • Many basketball fans may also recognize Golliver as the author of Bubbleball, which chronicled his 93-day stay inside the NBA’s Walt Disney World campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The book offered a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most unprecedented chapters in league history, as the NBA resumed play inside the Orlando bubble environment during 2020.
  • In addition to his NBA coverage, Golliver has also reported on international basketball events, including coverage of the United States men’s and women’s basketball teams during the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games.
  • The addition of Golliver comes at a busy time for ESPN’s NBA coverage. The network is currently home to the 2026 NBA Eastern Conference Finals and remains a central hub for league coverage across broadcast, streaming, podcasts, and social media platforms. ESPN has also continued investing heavily in both studio programming and written journalism as competition for sports media audiences intensifies.
  • A native of Beaverton, Oregon, Golliver graduated from Johns Hopkins University before beginning a career that has now spanned nearly two decades covering professional basketball.

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