Has Rachel Nichols been fired by ESPN?
ESPN'S Rachel Nichols is an American broadcaster. Nichols has made headlines after her comments about her ESPN colleague, Maria Taylor, 34. Nichols, 47, recently apologized on-air for her comments about Taylor. As of July 6, 2021, Nichols has not been let go by the company but has since been pulled from reporting the 2021 NBA Finals and replaced by Malika Andrews following her comments. The network confirmed the decision on July 6, 2021, saying it is the "best decision for all concerned in order to keep the focus on the NBA Finals." Nichols will continue to host The Jump, ESPN said. In a leaked video from July 2020 in the NBA bubble, Nichols was heard talking to Adam Mendelsohn, an adviser to LeBron James, about her feelings of Taylor getting the NBA Finals hosting gig over her. Nichols, who is white, was complaining that Taylor, who is black, got the job because of what she believes are "diversity" reasons. I wish Maria Taylor all the success in the world  she covers football, she covers basketball, Nichols said in the clip. 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. Just find it somewhere else. You are not going to find it from me or taking my thing away." 4 Taylor joined ESPN in 2014 Credit: Getty  I just want them to go somewhere else  its in my contract, by the way; this job is in my contract in writing, she continued. While Taylor has not comment on the released clip, Nichols has since apologized on Monday July 5, live on ESPN. So the first thing they teach you in journalism school is dont be the story. And I dont plan to break that rule today or distract from a fantastic Finals, Nichols said on The Jump on ESPN 2. But I also dont want to let this moment pass without saying how much I respect, how much I value our colleagues here at ESPN. How deeply, deeply sorry I am for disappointing those I hurt, particularly Maria Taylor, and how grateful I am to be part of this outstanding team.  Many of her ESPN colleagues were outraged by the comments according to The Times, one even said that Nichols not getting punished over her remarks is an active source of pain.  Taylor's contract is set to expire in two weeks and she recently declined an offer from the company that would have given her a salary of $5 million. Nichols is a sports broadcaster, reporter, and anchor for ESPN. She hosts the NBA discussion show, The Jump, and covers stories from the NBA. In 1995, she graduated with a degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. Before her time with ESPN, she worked for the Washington Post and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.