Chile! It looks like Becky was a salty saltine over at ESPN after Maria Taylor was chosen to host the NBA finals in 2020. ESPN host Rachel Nichols was caught on video complaining that her colleague Maria Taylor only got her job hosting the NBA finals because she was Black, according to The New York Times.
Apparently, Nichols was expecting to be hosting the NBA finals, and she had something to say about it. The Jump host made the remarks in July of 2020 when she was in Orlando staying at the Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World.
Nichols was having a phone conversation with LeBron James’ advisor Adam Mendelsohn and wanted his advice about Taylor being offered her perceived gig. The conversation was recorded on video by ESPN’s server in Bristol, Conn., as Nichols left her video camera on during the call. This made the video available to several ESPN staff members, and someone shared the video due to the racist comments on the video by both parties.
“I wish Maria Taylor all the success in the world. She covers football, she covers basketball,” said Nichols. “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.”
“I just want them to go somewhere else — it’s in my contract, by the way; this job is in my contract in writing,” Nichols said.
Mendelsohn is heard on the video denouncing Black Lives Matter.
“I don’t know. I’m exhausted. Between Me Too and Black Lives Matter, I got nothing left,” said Mendelsohn.
Nichols laughed at the comment. Nichols said that she had reached out to Taylor to apologize through texts and phone calls, but Taylor has not responded. Taylor also refused to work with Nichols after she saw the video, and all of Nichols’ appearances were prerecorded for NBA Countdown so that the two women didn’t have to interact.
Worse than her original comments, Nichols tried to justify herself by noting she was a woman alone in a hotel room and was violated because a fellow employee leaked the video of her racist comments.
“I was shaken that a fellow employee would do this, and that other employees, including some of those within the N.B.A. project, had no remorse about passing around a spy video of a female co-worker alone in her hotel room,” she said. “I would in no way suggest that the way the comments came to light should grant a free pass on them being hurtful to other people.”
Oh, okay then. Even more outrageous, Nichols has not been disciplined for her racist comments. In fact, the only person punished for the entire ordeal is another Black woman who worked at ESPN. Kayla Johnson was a digital video producer at the sports network, and she sent the video to Taylor. Johnson was suspended from ESPN for two weeks without pay and treated disrespectfully upon her return, but Nichols still has her job. Johnson has since left ESPN.
Rachel Nichols comments on Maria Taylor pic.twitter.com/U8J66fCzgY
— La Spoelstra Nostra (@YngBlvkGifted) July 4, 2021
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Nichols gave a tired apology on The Jump on July 5.
Here’s the apology. #RachelNichols pic.twitter.com/z6jwJHnD4s
— Reggie Wilson (@ReggieWilsonTV) July 5, 2021
The video went viral and Black Twitter definitely had something to say about green-eyed Becky.
The situation Rachel Nichols got herself into here is a good reminder: Being an ally only when it’s comfortable and convenient for you is absolutely not being an ally.
— Jeanna Kelley (@jeannathomas) July 4, 2021
White sports reporter Rachel Nichols insinuating that Blk reporter Maria Taylor getting a certain position is a “diversity hire”, is a typical narrative in white supremacist culture. White supremacy is the biggest affirmative action program in history, yet they project this on us https://t.co/6hqjeXqVq7
— Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) July 4, 2021
#RachelNichols is an example of how a lot of ppl think of their black colleagues.. they think we are only here because we’re diversity hires.
— BŒDËGÅ BŌB (@ImJustJoking_) July 5, 2021
If you read the piece about Rachel Nichols & Maria Taylor & yr takeaway is that we shouldn’t be pitting the women against each other, you’ve missed the entire point. White people who only advocate for equity until it requires them to give anything up are upholding white supremacy
— Britni de la Cretaz (@britnidlc) July 4, 2021
Rachel Nichols’ father-in-law was Mike Nichols, a MAJOR stage & film director.
Her mother-in-law is Diane Sawyer.
So if we wanna talk “diversity hires” how diverse are trust fund kids given jobs at publishing houses, film studios and news orgs because of their last names?
— Torraine Walker (@TorraineWalker) July 5, 2021
A huge point I hope that doesn’t get missed with Rachel Nichols and Maria Taylor is how white people discuss diversity in public versus behind closed doors. Something many Blacks are aware of which is why we’re skeptical of public initiatives for equality.
— Alex🎙🎧🎥📝 (@AlexHolling) July 4, 2021
The most frustrating part to me about the #RachelNichols situation – Black women have to excel to just get in the damn door, excel more to stay below the level we deserve, and then be told by the mediocre that we are there “because” we’re Black, not in spite of it.
— Sophie | 2x Good, 0.5x Far (@sophnotes) July 5, 2021
Of course, Twitter had jokes as well.
Rachel Nichols during ESPN: Rachel Nichols in that
video: pic.twitter.com/rx71vcVg8K— RAD (@radvstheworld) July 5, 2021
How Doris Burke and NBA players are gonna be celebrating when she takes over hosting The Jump after Rachel Nichols get reassigned pic.twitter.com/4gt38yeRk3
— Rich (@UptownDC_Rich) July 5, 2021
Perk spoke longer than Rachel Nichols during her opening segment on The Jump.
ESPN said: give a somewhat tearful sound bite apology to Maria and then lob it over to the Black guys to carry our water on damage control. pic.twitter.com/kGFxpc76yF
— September’s Very Own (@PricklyPundit) July 5, 2021
Racheal Nichols on the Jump today!!pic.twitter.com/KS0njSovBF
— A1 from Day 1 (@vanman_1000) July 5, 2021
#RachelNichols showing up Monday like…. pic.twitter.com/0TO8L2sxWD
— Ryyfue (@RyyFue) July 5, 2021
Black Twitter reacting to the video of Stephen Jackson defending Rachel Nichols pic.twitter.com/se61AU3GgX
— Rich (@UptownDC_Rich) July 5, 2021
ESPN fired Paul Pierce for hanging out with a bunch of Family Dollar female adult entertainers. Let’s see how they handle this. #RachelNichols
— Mr.OHB 🔮♋⚜💎 (@ragz_2_richest) July 5, 2021
Taylor’s contract with ESPN ends in three weeks. No doubt Nichols will still be at ESPN after her departure.
