ESPN spied on her : Rachel Nicholas on Maria Taylor statement , Joins Showtime

When the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo were vying for the NBA championship in July 2021, renowned ESPN writer Rachel Nicholas got herself embroiled in something that would ultimately change the course of her career.

But not for the better. Even for a journalist with that level of experience, the accusations made against her were too severe. She was The Jump’s host and ESPN’s first choice for any seated interview with any NBA player.

“At least one person decided to just sit and watch and started spying on me like I was their own personal television show,” Nichols said. “When they heard something they thought was, you see, they picked up their cell phone and they started recording my conversation on their cell phone.”

What Led To Rachel Nicholas Being Fired?

Because of a tape that was accidentally released and on which Nichols accused Maria Taylor, a fellow employee, she was fired from ESPN. The seasoned journalist confided too much in Adam Mendelsohn, a former assistant to LeBron James, that he thought Maria’s ethnicity had anything to do with her recent promotion.

According to The New York Times, Nichols stated, “I wish Maria Taylor all the success in the world – she covers football, she covers basketball.”

Her show became Sports Illustrated’s “TV’s sharpest basketball show,” and her on-air chats with league players became industry norms.
All of that didn’t really matter when a tape of her emerged because it may have permanently destroyed her career.
Nichols was still among the greatest at the moment, with 26 years of expertise under her belt, but she was denied the chance to cover the 2020 Finals on ESPN. She took off in that direction.

“If you need to give her additional things to do because you are feeling under pressure because of your terrible track record on diversity — which, by the way, I personally know from the female side of it — like, go for it,” she continued. Just locate it elsewhere. You won’t be able to steal my possession from me or find it.

After looking into the situation, ESPN decided to suspend the employee who leaked the tape and immediately cancel all of their shows featuring Nichols.

Rachel Joins Showtime

The career of basketball journalist Rachel Nichols has gained momentum.

The veteran sports reporter will work as a host and producer on the basketball content vertical for Showtime’s sports division.

In a prepared statement, Brian Dailey, senior vice president of sports programming and content for Showtime, stated, “We are thrilled to welcome Rachel Nichols to the Showtime Basketball family. Rachel provides an unrivalled journalistic reputation, extensive knowledge of our roster, and a work ethic that will elevate us to a new level.” 

 

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