Former “The Jump” host Rachel Nichols will now join Showtime Sports as a host and producer, in a tell-all interview with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on Showtime’s All The Smoke, she made quite the shocking revelation about her ESPN exit.
Nichols was fired by the sports network last summer after a leaked recording of her making insensitive comments about her colleague Maria Taylor surfaced online. In a detailed clip doing the rounds on social media, the journalist provided an in-depth account of how things unfolded.
Quite simply, she was using a new piece of broadcasting equipment with the network and left one of the apps, which left an open line to her hotel room was left running. The app recorded and saw everything she did.
Basically, Nichols was using a new set of broadcasting equipment with ESPN and a certain app left an open line to her hotel room, basically listening and seeing everything she does.
The people hearing it, recorded it on their cell phones and that was how it all came to light eventually.
After what she felt was a great start to her career in ESPN, Nichols also said she welcomed Taylor on board. She added that things were complicated during the pandemic.
“Things got complicated later that season. You all know, it was 2020. We had a pandemic. There was the tragic murder of your friend, George Floyd. There were a lot of difficult conversations with this country looking itself in the face and seeing what had to change, what had to be different. And The New York Times did an expose in July of 2020 on racism at ESPN and the lack of opportunities for people of color. And the executives at ESPN said I think, about what people would expect, ‘We’d like to give people more opportunities, we’re continuing to grow,’ all of those things.”
She added how ESPN also accused her of not being a team player:
“Around that same time, I got a phone call asking me would I step aside for Maria to host the NBA Finals and have me go back to being a sideline reporter. They stressed it was my choice, they weren’t telling me to do this, because it was in my contract. But they were putting a lot of pressure on me. I was being told ‘Well, you’re not a team player.’ Which any woman in business knows is code, right? Women are supposed to be kumbaya, and team players, and helpful, and men are aggressive sharks, and all that? I just felt like ‘Hey, I worked so long, decades for this job. I have done everything that was asked. We put on some great shows leading up to the playoffs. And I wanted a chance to do it.”
Rachel Nichols talks about leaving ESPN & Maria Taylor
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— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) September 30, 2022
While Nichols’ interview doesn’t necessarily get her off the hook for what she said, the interview serves as food for thought for the audience and sports fans who have now heard both sides of the story.
Rachel Nichols Now Has A New Role With Showtime Sports
Nichols expressed her interest to be part of the network and said she was eager to be part of a “crazy, cool, and talented” people.
After becoming a household name with “The Jump”, she now kicks off a new journey in her career. Per Awful Announcing, Showtime announced her aboard with an official press release:
“Credited as one of the architects of today’s NBA studio television landscape, Nichols will contribute to SHOWTIME Basketball’s premium, award-winning storytelling as she bolsters a group that features Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, JR Smith, and King of NBA Twitter Josiah Johnson.
“We are delighted to welcome Rachel Nichols to the SHOWTIME Basketball family,” said Brian Dailey, Senior Vice President, Sports Programming & Content, Showtime Networks Inc. “Rachel brings unmatched journalistic credibility, a great familiarity with our roster, and a work ethic that will take us to another level.”
With her interview providing a complete perspective of the murky drama that unfolded, there will perhaps be a change in the image of the decorated journalist. Only time will tell how she goes about producing quality content for the network.
