ESPN have reportedly parted ways with NBA analyst and former Boston Celtics player Paul Pierce on Monday after his wild Instagram Live caused an uproar.
Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy reported the news on Tuesday [AEDT], just days after Pierce went live in a room full of exotic dancers while smoking and drinking.
Pierce had been employed by ESPN since retiring from the league after the 2016-17 season and has been featured on shows such as ‘NBA Countdown’, ‘The Jump’ and general coverage.
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He posted a four-second video on social media laughing in reaction to the news with the message “Big Things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile #Truthshallsetufree.”
ESPN declined to comment on Pierce’s exit.
The New York Post reported: “ESPN was particularly miffed that Pierce chose to put the videos out on his own accord. If he had been filmed doing the same activities and they became public by someone else, he may have kept his job.”
Several NBA players reacted to the initial videos of Pierce, stunned by what they were seeing.