Paul Pierce, the NBA Hall of Famer was actively involved in the NBA world even after retiring from the game. But he usually finds himself to be the highlight of the headlines.
After an Instagram Live video of the former NBA commentator went viral, the network decided to fire him due to the resulting uproar. ESPN parted relations with the Boston Celtics great after a video showed Pierce violating COVID guidelines during the webcast as well.
Paul Pierce self-assessment reveals cause of viral 2021 IG live
When Boston Celtics legend and former ESPN NBA commentator Paul Pierce went live from a party in 2021, he stirred up quite a bit of controversy. In the clip, he was surrounded by half-naked ladies who were twerking and smoking pot.
His nearly four years at ESPN came to an end after this event. Pierce spoke up about the event on a recent edition of the Fox celebrity competition show “Stars on Mars,” saying,
“It wasn’t nothing illegal, but it was just girls… girls shaking their a**.” Pierce said that “a lot of alcohol” was involved in the incident. “I accidentally did — my dumb ass,” Pierce answered on being asked as to who shared the video on social media.
Pierce admitted that he shouldn’t have gone live on Instagram, but he said he hadn’t broken any rules. He clarified that ESPN’s parent company, Disney, had invoked a “morals clause” in justifying his dismissal. Pierce, in spite of the outrage, stood by his acts, calling them “entertainment” and saying he understood ESPN’s decision.
ESPN axed the Celtics legend following the event
Former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce has been fired from ESPN for posting a contentious video to Instagram. Pierce was seen on camera smoking a cigarette, drinking alcohol, and reportedly playing poker with companions in a room full of dancers, drawing attention to himself for breaking COVID-19 safety regulations.
Big Things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile #Truthshallsetufree pic.twitter.com/YIaJMcNQoH
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) April 5, 2021
Pierce won a championship with the Celtics and was an All-Star ten times throughout the course of his 19-year NBA career.
Since Pierce’s 2017 hire by ESPN, he has been a regular analyst on NBA Countdown and The Jump. After he made multiple appearances as a guest on the network’s basketball shows, the network offered him a full-time position. After hearing he was being let go, Pierce posted a video of himself chuckling on Twitter and teased, “Big things coming soon.”
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