Who Is Malika Andrews' Husband? All About ESPN Reporter Dave McMenamin

ESPN host Malika Andrews married fellow ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin in August 2024

Malika Andrews and Dave McMenamin, both esteemed ESPN reporters with a shared passion for basketball, married in August 2024 in a heartfelt ceremony in San Francisco.

With Andrews serving as the host of ESPN’s NBA Today and NBA Countdown and McMenamin an NBA reporter for the outlet, their overlapping career focus was evident at their wedding, which included numerous nods to their love for the game. From basketball-themed decor to a fully functional hoop at the reception, the celebration honored the sport that first brought them together while covering a Knicks game in 2017, according to Vogue.

“I was overwhelmed with happiness,” Andrews told the outlet of the ceremony. “It was everything that I hoped for."

So, who is Dave McMenamin? Here’s everything to know about the ESPN reporter and his relationship with sports media host Malika Andrews.

He's from Philadelphia

McMenamin grew up in Philadelphia. While he's now based in Los Angeles, the Philly native is still a big Philadelphia Eagles fan. When the NFL team made it to the Super Bowl in 2018, McMenamin secured two tickets and decided to take his brother, also an avid Eagles supporter.

“Jeff is the biggest Eagles fan I know and he’s getting married this summer so I figured it would be a pretty legit best man present,” McMenamin told Mainline Media News in 2018. “Plus, I took my dad to the 2016 Final Four in Houston and he got to see Villanova win it all. So it was Jeff’s turn.”

He went to Syracuse University

The ESPN reporter's journey in sports journalism began at Syracuse University, where he was a student manager for the Orange’s 2003 national championship basketball team, which included future NBA star Carmelo Anthony.

In 2021, McMenamin spoke to his alma mater about being a sophomore during the school’s historic season.

“It was incredible as it unfolded,” he recalled. “Think of the history of Syracuse: There’s only been one national championship in basketball, and I got to be a part of it.”

McMenamin graduated from Syracuse's Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2005.

He started his reporting career ghostwriting under the name of an NBA player

McMenamin began his career ghostwriting for former Golden State Warriors player Gilbert Arenas, he told The Washington Post. Initially working as a nighttime editor at NBA.com, McMenamin was tasked with creating first-person blog posts under Arenas’ name. His role expanded to direct collaboration with Arenas, leading to viral, candid content that offered unique insights into the NBA.

“He’s a very engaging personality," McMenamin said of the former NBA star. "And he was very honest and willing to talk about anything.”

Despite enjoying the success of the posts, McMenamin wanted to establish his own authority and moved on from ghostwriting.

“As much as I enjoyed that the blog was doing well and it got me some cache within the company, it did kind of kill me that it wasn’t my name,” he said. “I wanted to not just have my writing be Gilbert’s voice, but find my own voice.”

He’s been a sports reporter for over 10 years — and he's a bestselling author

McMenamin has been a reporter for ESPN since 2009, where he primarily covers the Los Angeles Lakers. According to his ESPN bio, he’s contributed to various platforms of the brand over his career, including NBA Today, ESPN the Magazine, The Hoop Collective Podcast, SportsCenter and Outside the Lines.

In 2018, McMenamin told The Washington Post that he feels connected to the athletes he reports on because of their mutual passion for basketball.

“One thing that connected me to guys like that, they have a true love of basketball,” he said. “The history of the game, the future of the game and the current game. They get joy from playing, and they get purpose from being a part of that.”

His journey to ESPN happened somewhat serendipitously, the reporter recalled in a conversation with Syracuse's alumni network in 2021.

McMenamin began his career with NBA Entertainment and suggested adding a Los Angeles reporter to cover the Lakers and Kobe Bryant. Despite his limited California experience, he was chosen for the role, but his position was cut a year later due to the recession.

"Fortunately for me, I had interviewed with ESPN back in 2008," he said. "I didn’t get that opening, but they became aware of who I was, and about three or so months after I was laid off from NBA Digital, they were starting to hire for ESPN Los Angeles," McMenamin explained, adding that he's been "working with ESPN ever since."

In addition to his career in sports journalism, McMenamin is a New York Times bestselling author. He co-authored the book Return of the King: LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Greatest Comeback in NBA History with his ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst in 2017. The book chronicles LeBron James’ dramatic return to the Cleveland Cavaliers and their historic comeback win in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Andrews and McMenamin met at a Knicks game in 2017

Andrews and McMenamin first crossed paths in 2017 while covering a game between the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden, according to Vogue. The reporters were both assigned to cover the game.

Five years later, in 2022, McMenamin proposed to Andrews on Thanksgiving Day.

They married in San Francisco in August 2024

Andrews and McMenamin celebrated their union with close family and friends at Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito, Calif. on Aug. 24, 2024. The location held sentimental value as a nod to Andrews’ Bay Area roots.

“We always knew we wanted to get married in the Bay Area, where Malika is from,” McMenamin told Vogue. “When we arrived at Cavallo Point for the first time, it just felt right.”

Meanwhile, Andrews donned a Grace Kelly-inspired lace dress, paying tribute to the icon and her husband’s hometown.

“I loved the nod to Grace Kelly, a Philly gal — where Dave is from,” Andrews told the outlet.

Andrews and McMenamin’s wedding reflected their shared love of basketball

Andrews and McMenamin’s celebration featured a blend of personal touches and symbolic elements, reflecting their shared journey in sports journalism.

The reception featured a functional floriated basketball hoop and a basketball-themed seating chart resembling a tournament bracket. Their wedding date, Aug. 24, also fell on Mamba Day, a tribute to the late Kobe Bryant, whose numbers 8 and 24 are retired by the Lakers — a detail not forgotten as McMenamin switched into Mambacita Nikes for a final look.

Andrews also changed into a mirrorball-inspired mini-dress, reflecting the mirror balls that decorated the dance floor.

The nuptials also had personal touches such as Syracuse Spritzes at the reception, a nod to McMenamin’s alma mater.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.