"I wasn’t going to be MJ" - Shams Charania reveals falling short of his NBA aspirations

Famed NBA Insider Shams Charania shared how his aspirations of being an NBA player got cut short early. In an episode of "The OGs Show," former Miami Heat players Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller got to talk to Charania. The insider has built a solid career around the league, and fans got to learn more about him in the episode.

Many young basketball players have dreamt of playing in the NBA, but not everyone is good enough to be in the biggest league. Sometimes, the reality of it hits differently for others, but Charania took a different path after he realized that he wouldn't make it to the professional level.

"Growing up, I wanted to be where you were, where you guys were," Charania said. "I wanted to be in the NBA, but obviously that's not the reality for most of the world. It's a 1% population (that) makes in to the NBA.

"I got cut very early in high school, sophomore year, and from there, I knew my role. The moment I got cut, I wasn’t going to be MJ and make it to the NBA or make it to varsity or whatever. I was done."

Charania shared that even with the reality of not playing in the league, he was still passionate about the NBA. Fortunately, writing was something the insider was skilled at and used it to make a name for himself. According to him, he combined both passions to make things work for him.

He also shared that he started taking writing about the league seriously when he was a sophomore in high school. That was the same time he understood that he wouldn't be an NBA player.

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Shams Charania's parents wanted him to take a different career path

Being in America with immigrant parents, Shams Charania shared that his current profession wasn't always what his parents wanted for him. The insider shared that there were expectations that he would be in the medical field, something his mother finds stable and reliable.

"It wasn't anything negative, my mom wanted something stable for me. This path, even that I chose, there was no guarantees. I had no relationships to make it a guarantee. But it was something that I was really passionate about."

Fortunately, things worked out well for Charania in the journalism department. He's now one of the most reliable people in the media. His scoops about the league and immediate reporting on updates have been a norm for fans and other media personalities.