The biggest fireworks on July 4 are emanating from Bristol, Connecticut as ESPN has a crisis on its hands with Rachel Nichols, Maria Taylor, and leaked audio from an NBA “bubble” hotel room.
Footage of ESPN “The Jump” host Nichols having a private phone conversation while quarantining in an NBA “bubble” hotel room last summer — which was leaked to the new iteration of Deadspin last year but not reported in detail — included her venting frustration that she lost her NBA Finals hosting gig to Taylor, a decision she suggested was due to ESPN feeling pressure over its poor record on diversity, according to a review of the video by the New York Times.
The video — which to be clear, was of a female ESPN employee in her hotel room unaware she was being recorded, something that is not without precedent — was sent to Taylor by a staffer who was suspended two weeks and later left ESPN.
Per the Times, the footage — specifically Nichols’ implication that Taylor’s race is the reason why ESPN chose her to host the Finals, a suggestion that for black professionals is also not without precedent — caused backlash against Nichols within the company. Taylor was reportedly so upset about the video that she told ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro that she would not finish the remainder of that NBA season.
She agreed only to continue hosting the pregame show on the condition that Nichols was not allowed to appear on the show, but Nichols ended up making several appearances throughout the NBA Finals. She continues to make appearances on the show, but in prerecorded segments that are made to appear live. Starting with this year’s playoffs, ESPN wanted to have Nichols appear on Countdown live, like the other sideline reporters, or alternatively have all of the sideline reporters appear in prerecorded segments. Countdown staffers — including Taylor, Jalen Rose and Adrian Wojnarowski — pushed back and ESPN backed down.
Nichols told the Times that Taylor has not responded to multiple attempts at an apology.
After moving on from Michelle Beadle, ESPN in 2019 announced that Nichols and Taylor would be its NBA hosts going forward. Nichols would host “The Jump” prior to ABC’s games, including the NBA Finals, and Taylor would host Countdown on Fridays and Sundays. That plan fell apart after the NBA season went on hiatus in March of last year and the league resumed play four months later in a “bubble” at Walt Disney World.
ESPN had Countdown precede the Finals from a New York studio, while Nichols served as ESPN’s lead sideline reporter, replacing Doris Burke (who shifted to game analysis on the ESPN Radio). Nichols has remained in the lead sideline reporter role.
The news comes within days of a report by the New York Post that ESPN and Taylor are millions of dollars apart on a new deal with her contract set to expire in mere weeks.
The NBA Finals is scheduled to begin Tuesday with Taylor hosting Countdown and Nichols on the sidelines. Per the Post, Taylor’s contract expires around July 20, two days before a Game 7 in the NBA Finals would take place.
[News from NYT 7.4]
