Update (August 25, 2021): After calling fellow sports commentator Maria Taylor a diversity hire, Rachel Nichols has been pulled from reporting for the NBA and her show The Jump has been canceled after five years.
On Wednesday, ESPN made the announcement, saying the decision was a mutual agreement, CNN reported.
"Rachel is an excellent reporter, host and journalist, and we thank her for her many contributions to our NBA content," David Roberts, ESPN senior vice president of production, said.
Back in July, Nichols was overheard during a recorded private conversation from 2020, saying Taylor was only hired because of the company's diversity efforts. Nichols was slated to report on the NBA Finals but was replaced by Black sports reporter Malika Andrews after the audio clip leaked, as Blavity previously reported.
Nichols tweeted out her sentiments shortly after the announcement.
"Got to create a whole show and spend five years hanging out with some of my favorite people, talking about one my favorite things," Nichols tweeted. "An eternal thank you to our amazing producers & crew — The Jump was never built to last forever but it sure was fun."
Original (July 21, 2021): After her final appearance as host of NBA Countdown on Tuesday night, Maria Taylor is officially leaving ESPN after an eight-year stint, the New York Post reports.
When news broke about Taylor’s departure, she and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro put out a joint statement addressing the recent developments.
“Maria’s remarkable success speaks directly to her abilities and work ethic,” Pitaro said in the statement.
“There is no doubt we will miss Maria, but we remain determined to continue to build a deep and skilled talent roster that thoroughly reflects the athletes we cover and the fans we serve. While she chose to pursue a new opportunity, we are proud of the work we’ve done together," he continued.
“So thankful to Jimmy and all of my great teammates and friends at the SEC Network, College GameDay, Women’s and Men’s college basketball, and the NBA Countdown family — the people who believed in me, encouraged me, pushed me, and lifted me up," Taylor added. "Words are inadequate to express my boundless appreciation, and I hope to make them proud.”
As Blavity previously reported, Taylor had a lucrative offer from NBC on the table after she declined an offer from ESPN. She's said to have wanted a deal similar to that of Stephen A. Smith's with the network. If Taylor signs with NBC, she could arrive just in time to cover the Tokyo Olympics and according to reports, she could have a role on The Today Show.
If the NBC deal is finalized, Taylor could also be the heir-apparent host of Football Night in America as Mike Tirico is expected to move to Sunday Night Football as the play-by-play announcer beginning in the fall of 2022. Taylor could also be an analyst on Notre Dame football games this season which NBC broadcasts.
Taylor leaves ESPN after being embroiled in a public controversy when the New York Times released a leaked tape of ESPN’s The Jump host suggesting the network promoted Taylor to Finals hosting duties as a way to make up for the network’s “crappy longtime record on diversity.”
After the comments stirred outrage, Nichols was removed from her post as NBA Finals’ sideline reporter and replaced by Malika Andrews, a Black woman, but has continued to host The Jump.
Taylor has not yet said whether she has signed with another network.
