Taylor Rooks on Balancing Friendships with Tough Journalism in Sports Reporting

Taylor Rooks, a prominent sports journalist and host of Amazon Prime Video's NBA on Prime, is proud of the friendships she's forged with the athletes she covers. In a recent appearance at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit, Rooks openly shared her experiences, highlighting the strong bonds she has cultivated with NBA stars like Tyrese Haliburton and Donovan Mitchell, whom she celebrated at their lavish weddings this summer.

Rooks' relationship with these players is not just casual; she regards them as close friends. Kevin Durant, a longtime ally and collaborator, attended her wedding last year and is an investor in her professional endeavors, signifying a deep level of trust. Rooks is an equity partner in Durant's company, Boardroom, suggesting a partnership that transcends typical reporter-athlete dynamics.

Friendship and Professionalism: A New Approach

Rooks dismisses any notion that her friendships compromise her journalistic integrity. Instead, she argues that these relationships enhance her ability to conduct difficult interviews. By engaging in candid discussions with athletes in informal settings—like during Donovan Mitchell's wedding—Rooks finds it easier to tackle pressing topics in more formal interviews. “Those tough conversations, you’re just having already,” she stated, expressing the importance of honesty and mutual respect in these dialogues.

For instance, during a personal moment at Mitchell's wedding, she broached the subject of his team's struggles to advance in the playoffs. Although he’s enjoyed a successful career marked by seven All-Star appearances, achieving success in the playoffs has eluded him, with his last appearance ending in a sweep against the Knicks. Her direct questioning—“What is it about your play? Are you not elevating your teammates?”—illustrates the kind of probing insight Rooks feels is vital to her role as a sports journalist.

Building Trust with Athletes

Rooks explained that the essence of her relationship with athletes hinges on trust. She believes that she earns interviews and access based on the rapport she's built, not just with individual players but with her audience. “That trust really is this daily deposit, both with the audience and with the person that you’re interviewing,” she remarked, underscoring the balance of personal connections and professional responsibilities.

Rooks' friendship with Durant dates back to her college years, marking a unique journey from an aspiring journalist seeking interviews to a journalist with deep ties in the league. Reflecting on their initial encounter, Rooks recalled, “KD sees this little girl running around trying to get people to answer her questions. He said, ‘you can ask me.’ It was my first big interview.” This early interaction laid the foundation for a professional relationship built on mutual respect and understanding.

Navigating Scrutiny in Sports Journalism

While personal relationships can deepen a journalist's insight, they often attract scrutiny—especially for female reporters. Rooks has faced criticism from some who believe that her relationships with male athletes undermine her impartiality. In a 2025 Substack post, she pointed out the double standards often levied against female sports journalists compared to their male counterparts. “This is a relationship business,” she asserted. “This is about maintaining relationships, building relationships.”

Despite the scrutiny, Rooks has developed a constructive strategy for dealing with online criticism. She emphasizes letting go of negative feedback and focusing on her credibility and role in sports journalism. “I let go of online criticism a long time ago,” she explained, confirming her resilience. “People who go online to criticize me… It doesn’t register with me. Because I know what’s true about my life, my credibility, my profession.”

Looking Ahead in Sports Journalism

As Rooks continues her career, she embodies a new wave of sports journalism that thrives on personal connections while maintaining professional integrity. Her dual role as both a friend to these athletes and a journalist challenges the prevailing norms and offers a fresh perspective on sports reporting. Rooks represents a generation of journalists who are willing to forge ahead, balancing the fine line between friendship and accountability in order to tell important stories, ensure authenticity, and ultimately enrich the viewer's experience.

Her approach reaffirms a vital truth in sports: that the best stories are often told through the lens of personal relationships, allowing for a deeper understanding of the athletes behind the statistics. In a landscape often plagued with separation between journalists and those they cover, Taylor Rooks stands at the forefront—shaping perceptions while staying true to her craft.