Sports Illustrated

Jun 23, 2022

An ESPN lead analyst meteorically rises to the historical occasion of becoming the first woman ever to host the NBA Draft. Sports Illustrated  reported on ESPN’S announcement that NBA Today host Malika Andrews is preparing to  host the network’s 2022 NBA draft on Thursday, June 23. Her trailblazing new role will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York The 27-year-old, who has been with the sports broadcasting giant since 2019, is no stranger to the scene. It may be her first time hosting the draft, but she did lend her hosting capabilities to the NBA draft lottery for ESPN on May 17. The Bay Area native has previously worked for the Chicago Tribune and New York Times as a reporting fellow, per Sporting News . She made her NBA debut in 2020 as a telecast reporter and then took her talents to the 2021 NBA Finals as a sideline reporter. “I am so excited to be the host of the 2022 NBA draft,” Andrews said via ESPN PR’s Twitter video . “It’s really kind of beyond words. We just finished the draft lottery, and I feel like that great training, maybe, hopefully for the draft. But, at the end of the day, I know I have a great team behind me.” ???? @malika_andrews to host the 2022 #NBADraft Presented by State Farm