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ESPN removes Rachel Nichols from NBA coverage, cancels her show 'The Jump'

Rachel Nichols
Posted at 3:45 PM, Aug 25, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-25 19:43:07-04

ESPN has removed Rachel Nichols from NBA coverage and canceled her weekday show "The Jump."

Nichols confirmed the news on Twitter Wednesday.

"Got to create a whole show and spend five years hanging out with some of my favorite people talking about one my favorite things An eternal thank you to our amazing producers & crew - The Jump was never built to last forever, but it sure was fun. More to come," Nichols said on Twitter.

In a statement to Sports Business Journal, David Roberts, ESPN's senior vice president of production, said that both sides "mutually agreed that this approach regarding our NBA coverage was best for all concerned."

News of Nichols' departure comes less than two months after the New York Times published leaked comments Nichols made about colleague Maria Taylor during the 2020 NBA bubble.

According to the Times, Nichols, who is white, said that Taylor got her job hosting NBA Countdown because she is Black.

Nichols later apologized for her comments.

Taylor announced in July that she was leaving the sports network after she could not reach an agreement on a contract extension with ESPN.