ESPN is pulling correspondent Rachel Nichols from its NBA inclusion and dropping her show “The Jump,” the organization affirmed Wednesday. The choice follows reaction over spilled remarks she made about her previous associate Maria Taylor.
“We mutually agreed that this approach regarding our NBA coverage was best for all concerned. Rachel is an excellent reporter, host and journalist, and we thank her for her many contributions to our NBA content,”said David Roberts, ESPN’s senior VP of creation.
Nichols remarked on the choice Wednesday. “Got to create a whole show and spend five years hanging out with some of my favorite people talking about one my favorite things,” she wrote on Instagram. “The Jump was never built to last forever but it sure was fun.”
In July, The New York Times originally investigated the spilled sound. Nichols, who is White, said Taylor was just picked to be the sideline correspondent for last year’s NBA Finals since she is Black.
“If you need to give her more things to do because you’re feeling pressure about your crappy longtime record on diversity – which, by the way, I myself know personally – like, go for it, just find it somewhere else,” she said in the recording.
A few days after the fact, ESPN sidelined Nichols from writing about the sidelines of the current year’s NBA title series. In any case, she kept on covering the series on “The Jump” and later gave an account of the current year’s late spring alliance competition.
Rachel likewise apologized for the remarks on her show, saying, “I also don’t want to let this moment pass without saying how deeply, deeply sorry I am for disappointing those I hurt, particularly Maria Taylor.”
Topics #Rachel Nichol
