Longtime ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols opened Monday's edition of The Jump by apologizing for comments she previously made about colleague Maria Taylor.
Nichols said she has the utmost respect for everyone at ESPN and is “deeply” sorry for her remarks about Taylor. She also said she was “grateful” to be part of the ESPN family.
Rachel Nichols opening comments on Monday’s live episode of “The Jump”: pic.twitter.com/VpI826k0pp
— Megan Turner (@megnturner_) July 5, 2021
Rachel Nichols became the subject of ample criticism over the weekend after the New York Times detailed a leaked conversation she had PR advisor Adam Mendelsohn regarding Taylor's role covering the 2020 NBA Finals.
Nichols had long been a sideline reporter and pregame host for the Finals, but the network instead reserved that position for Taylor last summer. The decision clearly rubbed Nichols the wrong way, and she suggested ESPN was “feeling the pressure” on diversity during a phone call with Mendelsohn, who advises LeBron James and is also facing flak for remarks of his own.
The Times report, not to mention the leaked phone call, have already put a stain on Rachel Nichols' career and led to an outpouring of support for Maria Taylor, who has been one of the fastest risers at the worldwide leader. Many were quick to note Taylor's lengthy background and trajectory as evidence she has more than earned the opportunities she has been given.
However, there are still those showing support to Nichols. Former NBA forward and “All The Smoke” podcast host Stephen Jackson issued a series of messages backing Nichols. Both Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson appear to have Nichols' back in the clip above, though neither excused her words nor did they dismiss the severity of the incident.
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