Paul Sancya / AP
In this July twenty, 2021, file photograph, ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols walks on the court docket immediately after Match six of basketball’s NBA Finals involving the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns in Milwaukee. ESPN is cancelling Nichols’ “The Jump” exhibit and pulling her off NBA programming.
Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021 | six:forty three p.m.
LOS ANGELES — ESPN is canceling Rachel Nichols’ exhibit, “The Bounce,” and pulling her off NBA programming.
David Roberts, who was named very last 7 days to oversee the network’s NBA coverage, reported in a statement that “we mutually agreed that this method pertaining to our NBA coverage was very best for all worried.”
“Rachel is an excellent reporter, host and journalist, and we thank her for her quite a few contributions to our NBA written content,” Roberts reported.
Nichols also confirmed the move on her Instagram page. Sporting activities Organization Journal was the very first to report it.
Nichols posted: “Got to make a entire exhibit and expend 5 decades hanging out with some of my preferred folks talking about one my preferred points. An everlasting thank you to our incredible producers & crew – ‘The Jump’ was in no way crafted to very last for good but it guaranteed was enjoyment. Much more to appear …”
ESPN will have a new day by day NBA exhibit that will premiere sometime before the typical year commences in Oct. Roberts also will be dependable for revamping and discovering a host for the network’s “NBA Countdown” exhibit with Maria Taylor’s departure to NBC.
Nichols, who has extra than a calendar year remaining on her contract, has been an integral element of ESPN’s NBA coverage because she returned to the community in 2016. “The Jump” begun in February that calendar year and went from airing only for the duration of the year to a approximately calendar year-round fixture. She also was the sideline reporter for most of ESPN’s best nationwide games this year.
Nichols came under hearth, nevertheless, immediately after a report by The New York Occasions on July four in depth important comments she designed about Taylor.
Nichols, who is white, designed the comments very last calendar year when she uncovered Taylor, who is Black, would guide the network’s studio exhibit instead of her for the duration of the league’s restart at Walt Disney Entire world.
In a cell phone dialogue that was accidentally recorded and attained by the newspaper, Nichols reported: “I wish Maria Taylor all the results in the world — she handles football, she handles basketball. If you will need to give her extra points to do for the reason that you are emotion stress about your crappy longtime document on variety — which, by the way, I know individually from the woman aspect of it — like, go for it. Just locate it someplace else. You are not likely to locate it from me or getting my factor away.”
The Occasions claimed that the show’s crew was angry with Nichols, who apologized while hosting “The Jump” on July five. The report also came much less than three months before Taylor’s contract was set to expire with ESPN and immediately after she rejected an extension.
ESPN replaced Nichols with Malika Andrews as its sideline reporter for the NBA Finals pursuing the report. The 26-calendar year-aged Andrews, who hosted “The Jump” very last 7 days while Nichols was on vacation, is predicted to have a outstanding function in the network’s coverage.
Nichols continued to host “The Jump” onsite for the duration of the finals. She was also onsite for the duration of the a short while ago concluded NBA Summer time League in Las Vegas.
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