ESPN fires Paul Pierce after racy video goes viral–reports

FILE –Former NBA player Paul Pierce attends the game between the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets at TD Garden on February 29, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP 

ESPN has fired NBA analyst and Hall of Fame player Paul Pierce after a racy video he posted on social media went viral.

The network did not confirm the move, which multiple media outlets reported Monday night.

Pierce, set to be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame later this year, was a regular contributor to ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” and “The Jump” since joining the network in 2017.

I can’t lose even when I lose I’m winning 🤔🤔😳😃😃😃

— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) April 6, 2021

Pierce went live on Instagram on Friday night showing him playing poker, drinking and smoking with exotic dancers and friends. It’s unclear if Pierce was smoking marijuana. The New York Post reports ESPN was unhappy that Pierce posted the videos himself. Further, nobody in the video appears to be wearing masks, violating COVID-19 protocols that ESPN put in place.

Pierce was earning $1.5 million per year from ESPN, per Front Office Sports.

Pierce posted a video to social media Monday after the reports began to surface.

Big Things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile #Truthshallsetufree pic.twitter.com/YIaJMcNQoH

— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) April 5, 2021

“Big things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile,” Pierce posted to Twitter with the hashtag #Truthshallsetufree.”

Pierce, 43, averaged 19.7 points in 19 seasons — 15 with the Boston Celtics — and was a 10-time All Star and four-time all-NBA selection. He was the 2007-08 NBA Finals MVP.

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