ESPN Puts Controversial NBA Reporter Rachel Nichols Back on Air After Race Related Remark

Rachel Nichols, the NBA reporter with the show “The Jump” is back on ESPN after having a one day rest that followed a race-related remark last year about black colleague Maria Taylor.

This week the NY Times revealed details of a 2020 phone call Nichols had with Adam Mendelsohn, an advisor to Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

Nichols had suggested Taylor got a hosting gig for the NBA Finals because of her race. During that call, which was captured by a live video camera in Nichols’ hotel room without her knowledge, she had spoke to Mendelsohn about Taylor getting a coveted job hosting ESPN’s pregame and postgame coverage of the 2020 NBA Finals.

Nichols had suggested to Mendelsohn that Taylor got the gig because of her race and because ESPN, which is owned by Walt Disney Co., wanted to burnish its “diversity” credentials.

“If you need to give her more things to do because you are feeling pressure about your crappy longtime record on diversity — which, by the way, I know personally from the female side of it — like, go for it,” Nichols said on the call.

“Just find it somewhere else. You are not going to find it from me or taking my thing away,” she said. Nichols assumed the job would be hers.

On Tuesday, two days after the Times article, ESPN said Nichols was being benched from covering the NBA Finals.

ESPN also said however that Nichols would continue hosting her show, “The Jump,” on weekdays during the Finals from the sites of the games.

“We believe this is [the] best decision for all concerned in order to keep the focus on the NBA Finals. Rachel will continue to host ‘The Jump,’” ESPN said in a statement Tuesday.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told reporters that “people recognize that people make mistakes, that careers shouldn’t be erased by a single comment, that we should be judging people by the larger context of their body of work and who they are.”

Nichols had apologized Monday during her show for the controversy over her call with Mendelsohn.

“How deeply, deeply sorry I am for disappointing those I hurt, particularly Maria Taylor, and how grateful I am to be a part of this team,” Nichols said.
Nichols has reportedly reached out to Taylor to apologize.

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