In a move that has been rumored for months, ESPN is reportedly replacing Michelle Beadle as host of its NBA coverage.
ESPN will name Rachel Nichols and Maria Taylor the hosts of its NBA studio coverage, replacing Michelle Beadle, according to Richard Deitsch of The Athletic. The New York Post also reported Beadle’s exit Friday.
An announcement is expected in the “coming weeks,” per Deitsch. Nichols and Taylor will split the hosting role in a manner still to be determined. Nichols will remain in her current role as host of “The Jump.”
Beadle spent three seasons as ESPN’s lead NBA studio host, but there were rumblings in recent months that ESPN was looking to replace her. Sports By Brooks first reported in June that she was on her way out.
Nichols and Taylor will be the tenth and 11th regular studio hosts ESPN/ABC has used in its 18 seasons covering the NBA. In addition to Beadle, previous hosts include Sage Steele, Doris Burke, Mike Tirico, Dan Patrick, Fred Hickman, Kevin Frazier and the late John Saunders and Stuart Scott. Over the same period of time, TNT has used one primarily studio host — Ernie Johnson. Two, if one counts Chris Webber‘s hosting role on the now-defunct “Players Only.”
As for the rest of the studio team, Deitsch reported that Chauncey Billups will move to game analysis this season and that Paul Pierce‘s status is to be determined. Sports By Brooks and the New York Post previously reported that neither Billups nor Pierce would return to the studio show. Jalen Rose is expected to return.
Countdown was Beadle’s last remaining regular role on ESPN. She served as a co-host of “Get Up!” for the first four months of the show and previously hosted SportsNation. She is in her second stint with ESPN, having rejoined the network in 2014 after an ill-fated run with NBC Sports from 2012-14. She previously worked for ESPN from 2009-12.
[News from Richard Deitsch/Twitter 8.16]
