ESPN Axes Basketball’s ‘The Jump,’ Sidelines Controversial Host
ESPN Axes Basketball’s ‘The Jump,’ Sidelines Controversial Host
(Bloomberg) -- ESPN’s new head of basketball coverage canceled “The Jump,” a daily show about the NBA, and removed a host whose comments about a Black colleague sparked controversy.
Rachel Nichols, an ESPN correspondent, will no longer cover basketball for the network. She wasn’t given a new assignment.
The changes were made by ESPN’s new head of basketball programming, David Roberts, who is overhauling the network’s coverage. A new basketball program is being conceived.
Nichols was recorded in a private conversation suggesting her colleague, Maria Taylor, was given an assignment over her because she is Black. Nichols apologized for the comments. Taylor’s departure from the Walt Disney Co.-owned channel was announced last month. She has joined Comcast Corp.’s NBC.
“We mutually agreed that this approach regarding our NBA coverage was best for all concerned,” Roberts said in a statement. “Rachel is an excellent reporter, host and journalist, and we thank her for her many contributions to our NBA content.”
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