>> So the first thing they teach you in journalism school is don't be the story.
>> This is ESPN is Rachel Nichols, who became the story at our own behest.
>> Hey, black women I just wanted you to know that you're pretty dope.
>> Maria Taylor, seen here, was the brunt of Nichols's ire there, colleagues at ESPN.
>> If you need to give her more things to do because you're feeling pressure about
your like crappy longtime record on diversity. Which, by the way,
I myself know personally from the female side of it, like, go for it,
just find it somewhere else. Like, you're not going to find it with me and take my thing away.
>> Nichols, unaware her camera and microphone were on, said this of Taylor.
>> I also don't 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.
>> And this was her apology, putting in my view, Richard Jefferson and Kendrick,
Perkins, in a tough spot. >> So Nichols is now on the
backfoot. The network has replaced her at this year's NBA Finals by another fantastic
reporter and journalist, Malika Andrews. >> There is that sense of entitlement.
Rachel Nichols's father in law, dearly departed, a beloved famed Hollywood
director. Her mother in law is Diane Sawyer. At some point she got the job over somebody
else who deserved it more, facts. >> If you go all the way back to
when she first started, people can look at her and say the same thing about her.
Something was maybe given her that a lot of people felt like
they deserved to have at that particular time. >> Although she may have been taught not to do so
in J-school, ESPN's Rachel Nichols made herself the story. Last year in the Orlando bubble,
she went off about Maria Taylor taking her place to host NBA finals coverage on ESPN.
The network did not discipline Nichols. In the recording, which was obtained
and published by the New York Times, Nichols felt the heat coming her way and voiced her opinion.
The problem with this opinion was it came off as Maria got the job because she's a minority,
and not, she's really freaking great at her job and is deserving.
You're likely asking, how did this recording come about? Simply, when in the bubble,
Nichols was using new technology, did not know her camera and microphone were on,
because when they are, the feed is recorded straight to ESPN headquarters in Bristol,
Connecticut. It was effectively the remote pandemic version of a hot mic.
>> You can be as liberal as you want to be, a freedom fighter, an ally, a real one,
take a knee, fist in the air, until they come for what you see as yours, right?
>> The Memphis Grizzlies's Ja Morant voiced his support for Taylor on social media.
Maybe ESPN saw what was ahead,
maybe not. However, Nichols's show, The Jump, was surprisingly taken out of the
rotation the night of game one of the NBA Finals >> ESPN is the latest example of what is out there
every day that every black man and woman who has entered the workforce has been victim of, okay?
>> Another huge issue was LeBron James's advisor Adam Mendelsohn saying to Nichols, I don't know,
I'm exhausted, between Me Too and Black Lives Matter,
I got nothing left. Nichols then laughed at it. Mendelssohn has worked for Arnold
Schwarzenegger and has a career in politics. He is co-founder of More Than A Vote.
Taylor did a spot for the group last summer. The main crux, clearly, is the management style at
ESPN. Senior producers have told colleagues to leave the company to advance their respective
careers. I mean, are we really just gonna forget the all white crowd bidding on black NFL players?
We shouldn't. On a conference call, Taylor spoke of her treatment at the company,
play-by-play broadcaster, Dave LaMont, thinking he was on mute,
went mask off for everyone on the call. He thought it was just a griping session for
black employees. It was such a slap in the face, Taylor, said, in an interview with The Times,
when I was in it, that was horrible, but now looking back, it was an awakening moment.
This is part of our culture. There are people
that feel this way. >> I think this is really a reflection
of a culture that was created by ESPN's management. I mean, ultimately,
while you certainly can have your criticisms of Rachel Nichols in terms of how she handled it,
you could have your criticisms of Adam Mendelsohn, LeBron's advisor and what he said in his comments.
But to me, so much of this rests on the lap of the people in charge.