ESPN Host Malika Andrews 'Fought Demons' Before Becoming A Star
BROOKLYN, NY - MARCH 13: ESPN Sideline Reporter, Malika Andrews looks on before the game between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets on March 13, 2022 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
ESPN NBA personality Malika Andrews has experienced a meteoric rise to the top of the sports media world over the past few years.
But just like any real success, the path wasn't easy.
During an interview with the New York Post back in 2020, Andrews revealed that she "fought demons" and battled with mental health issues before her rise to fame.
As a child, Andrews said she was "angry, depressed and anxious," flunked out of middle school and struggled with an eating disorder.
"It's not like x+y=z," she explained. "It was just a feeling that something was not right. I can't explain it."
"It got to a point that I told my mother, 'I think I need some help. I don't think I'm going to be able to figure this out by myself'" she added.
Andrews has come a long way since these hard times. The 28-year-old sports media superstar is now one of the leading voices for ESPN's NBA coverage, working the biggest events from the NBA Draft to the NBA Finals.
"I'm not perfect now," Andrews continued. "I don't think it is something you are ever 'recovered' from. It is something I have to actively work on every day."
Last year, Andrews became the first woman to ever host the NBA Draft. Yesterday, she held a 1-on-1 interview with consensus No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama.
Tonight's draft coverage will begin at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
