OT: ESPN fired Paul Pierce after his racy Instagram Live video

[Zenzibar]

New York (CNN Business)ESPN fired NBA analyst Paul Pierce after the Boston Celtics legend posted a racy Instagram Live video over the weekend. The video featured Pierce in a room with exotic dancers.

The cable sports network ended its working relationship with Pierce Monday, an industry source told CNN Business. ESPN declined to comment on Pierce leaving the network. Representatives for Pierce also did not immediately respond for requests for comment. The news of Pierce's firing was first reported by Front Office Sports.

Pierce was an analyst for the network on multiple NBA shows. That included the studio show, "The Jump" and its pregame show "NBA Countdown." Pierce, who went by the nickname "The Truth," won an NBA championship with the Celtics in 2008.
Pierce joined ESPN before the 2017-2018 season.

The racy nature of the live stream was likely a breaking point for ESPN — a company owned by the family-friendly Walt Disney Company (DIS). Also, Pierce and others in the video do not appear to be wearing masks or following Covid protocols that have been set up at the network.

Pierce seemingly addressed the situation on Twitter shortly after the news broke.
On Monday, Pierce posted a short video of him smiling with the caption, "Big Things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile #Truthshallsetufree."

Later on Monday, he tweeted again writing, "I can't lose even when I lose I'm winning."
It is unclear if anyone will replace Pierce on ESPN's NBA programming or if the network will just rotate in other commentators, reporters and analysts to fill his spot.

[thebuzzardman]

F*ck PP

[symbiotic]

Isn't this dude like over 40?

[nedleeds]

Yo strippers and instagrahoes didn't follow covid protocols. That's what they're worried about? People who write these releases are clown lords.

[cgmw]

I've always been confused about why big name athletes end up at corporate media jobs. It just makes no sense. PP's net worth is supposedly $70,000,000. I realize more money is always better than less money, but really how much money was ESPN paying him? Couldn't be much.

His investments alone should spin off a minimum of $3,000,000/year of straight spendable income without even touching the principal. Which means his $70m should be closer to $150m in 10 years.

Judge the guy all you want, but ask yourself -- if you made $3,000,000/year WITHOUT WORKING, would you really give a F about keeping your corporate job at Walt Disney?

PS: God bless Shaq, but really what does he do with all that money??? I assume he only keeps the TNT job to get him more sponsorship deals, which makes sense considering his personality. Pierce, on the other hand, had no personality until this episode. Maybe he wants to open strip clubs after the pandemic?

[br7knicks]

Isn't this dude like over 40?

I was about to join in with you to criticize him for being forty and doing this.

But I'm also forty

[Knicks Byke]

I've always been confused about why big name athletes end up at corporate media jobs. It just makes no sense. PP's net worth is supposedly $70,000,000. I realize more money is always better than less money, but really how much money was ESPN paying him? Couldn't be much.

His investments alone should spin off a minimum of $3,000,000/year of straight spendable income without even touching the principal. Which means his $70m should be closer to $150m in 10 years.

Judge the guy all you want, but ask yourself -- if you made $3,000,000/year WITHOUT WORKING, would you really give a F about keeping your corporate job at Walt Disney?

PS: God bless Shaq, but really what does he do with all that money??? I assume he only keeps the TNT job to get him more sponsorship deals, which makes sense considering his personality. Pierce, on the other hand, had no personality until this episode. Maybe he wants to open strip clubs after the pandemic?

even in the video with strippers, he lacked personality

but yea, he probably wanted to get fired.

**** him.

[nyczlegacy]

lmaooo i thought it was fkn hilarious

reminded me of the good old days with marbury on justin tv

Watch on YouTube

[symbiotic]

Here's old man Paul Pierce

[DOT]

The Mouse doesn't take kindly to anyone threatening their family-friendly label.

[Iron Mantis]

The Mouse doesn't take kindly to anyone threatening their family-friendly label.

[B8RcDeMktfxC]

F*ck PP

You really got 6 +1s for this?

I'm a career PP hater and I really don't see why this is the horrific thing that no moral person can abide.

Shame on you all.

Let's burn more witches as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Albions-Seed-British-Folkways-cultural/dp/0195069056/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=albions+seed&qid=1617752750&sr=8-1

[thebuzzardman]

F*ck PP

You really got 6 +1s for this?

I'm a career PP hater and I really don't see why this is the horrific thing that no moral person can abide.

Shame on you all.

Let's burn more witches as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Albions-Seed-British-Folkways-cultural/dp/0195069056/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=albions+seed&qid=1617752750&sr=8-1

Wut?

I could care less if PP was sniffing a oz of blow off the skeziest hookers in existence.

I just hate PP in general.

[sims332]

actually pierce was fired because there were not enough strippers in the video... and thats a disney policy violation

[B8RcDeMktfxC]

F*ck PP

You really got 6 +1s for this?

I'm a career PP hater and I really don't see why this is the horrific thing that no moral person can abide.

Shame on you all.

Let's burn more witches as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Albions-Seed-British-Folkways-cultural/dp/0195069056/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=albions+seed&qid=1617752750&sr=8-1

Wut?

I could care less if PP was sniffing a oz of blow off the skeziest hookers in existence.

I just hate PP in general.

I'm glad we are (once again) on common ground.

But, can you not see this is not the place for a victory dance. ???

What if your favourite player's favourite player was cancelled for this anodyne behaviour?

[robillionaire]

You really got 6 +1s for this?

I'm a career PP hater and I really don't see why this is the horrific thing that no moral person can abide.

Shame on you all.

Let's burn more witches as well.

https://www.amazon.com/Albions-Seed-British-Folkways-cultural/dp/0195069056/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=albions+seed&qid=1617752750&sr=8-1

Wut?

I could care less if PP was sniffing a oz of blow off the skeziest hookers in existence.

I just hate PP in general.

I'm glad we are (once again) on common ground.

But, can you not see this is not the place for a victory dance. ???

What if your favourite player's favourite player was cancelled for this anodyne behaviour?

I'd probably still not care because these guys have 100x more money than everyone on realgm put together and it literally doesn't matter if they get fired for their wild lavish lifestyles that few will ever experience. On one hand personally I don't think his extracurricular activities warranted him getting fired but on the other hand, I just can't imagine caring about this crap at all when there are important issues in the world

if you take a job working for disney you know what you're signing up for. most people can get fired if your boss doesn't like your haircut. hard for me to sympathize with him

[sims332]

Wut?

I could care less if PP was sniffing a oz of blow off the skeziest hookers in existence.

I just hate PP in general.

I'm glad we are (once again) on common ground.

But, can you not see this is not the place for a victory dance. ???

What if your favourite player's favourite player was cancelled for this anodyne behaviour?

I'd probably still not care because these guys have 100x more money than everyone on realgm put together and it literally doesn't matter if they get fired for their wild lavish lifestyles that few will ever experience. On one hand personally I don't think his extracurricular activities warranted him getting fired but on the other hand, I just can't imagine caring about this crap at all when there are important issues in the world

if you take a job working for disney you know what you're signing up for. most people can get fired if your boss doesn't like your haircut. hard for me to sympathize with him

your boss told me that he loves your haircut.... so you are set ...work-wise

[Fat Kat]

I've always been confused about why big name athletes end up at corporate media jobs. It just makes no sense. PP's net worth is supposedly $70,000,000. I realize more money is always better than less money, but really how much money was ESPN paying him? Couldn't be much.

His investments alone should spin off a minimum of $3,000,000/year of straight spendable income without even touching the principal. Which means his $70m should be closer to $150m in 10 years.

Judge the guy all you want, but ask yourself -- if you made $3,000,000/year WITHOUT WORKING, would you really give a F about keeping your corporate job at Walt Disney?

PS: God bless Shaq, but really what does he do with all that money??? I assume he only keeps the TNT job to get him more sponsorship deals, which makes sense considering his personality. Pierce, on the other hand, had no personality until this episode. Maybe he wants to open strip clubs after the pandemic?

A good percentage of them go broke for varying reasons. ESPN did a special on it years ago. Here’s a clip

Watch on YouTube

And some of those analysts make millions, especially the ones on TNT. They’re trying to maintain a very expensive lifestyle, and only the players that continue to work can do it.

[Clyde_Style]

I'm guessing this means Disney won't be greenlighting the pilot episode of Hookers & Blow

[Capn'O]

**** Paul Pierce is a noble hill to die on