(Ep013) Jonathan Tjarks: Using Faith to Battle Cancer, The Unorthodox Story of Finding God, Becoming an NBA Writer vs. NBA Player, and Knowing The Mavs Would Never Win Again with Dirk Nowitzki
On April 26, 2021, Jonathan Tjarks tweeted: “There's no easy way to say this. I've been diagnosed with cancer. The doctors aren't entirely sure what kind it is, but they think it is one of two kinds of sarcomas. I've already begun chemotherapy. Please keep me, my wife and our one-year old son in your prayers.” He then wrote an article for The Ringer titled “The Long Night of the Soul” explaining where his head and heart were at as he underwent chemo.
By this time, Jonathan had been an NBA writer for The Ringer for a couple of years. He began his sportswriting career working for his high school and college newspapers. After writing for a political news website, Jonathan realized he’d rather be writing about sports, and so started a basketball blog. Jonathan also contributed to Mavs Moneyball and eventually earned a press credential that helped him cover his hometown Dallas Mavericks in even greater depth. After years of taking freelance writing gigs, Jonathan’s passionate and insightful stories caught the eye of editors at The Ringer, who offered him a staff writer position. As the site grew its podcasts, Jonathan started co-hosting Upside High with fellow scribe Kyle Mann.
In this episode, Jonathan shares:
The unorthodox story of how he found God
Why faith and family have provided a firm foundation during his cancer treatment
How Juwan Howard reacted when he swiped players’ popcorn in the American Airlines Arena visitors’ locker room
Why Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, and Tyson Chandler were perfect complements to Dirk Nowitzki on the Mavs’ 2011 NBA title team
Why the Mavs were actually better off after letting Steve Nash get away
What he sees as the future of sports journalism despite major changes due to COVID
To keep up with Jonathan, follow him on Twitter, listen to his Upside High podcast with Kyle Mann, and read his articles for The Ringer.a
