Disney is notoriously strict when it comes to the behavior of its stars both on and off-screen, and while I’m not sure if those same rules apply to ESPN employees—the sports juggernaut was acquired by the House of Mouse back in 1995—I would imagine that after his actions this weekend, NBA great Paul Pierce spent his Monday morning wondering if he still has a job.
Since retiring from the NBA in 2017, the 10-time All-Star has exchanged his basketball shorts for a microphone and is now a sports analyst on shows like the super popular ESPN’s The Jump; where he’s paid handsomely to generously offer shitty take after shitty take.
But over the weekend, apparently the only thing the married father of three felt like commentating on was a controversial Instagram Live video, in which Pierce was swarmed by booze and boobs while indulging in a neck massage and something that may or may not be weed, according to Sportscasting.
Behold:
Nigga, what is you doin’?!
These are the type of moments that social media lives for, so trust and believe Twitter went in as word of Pierce wildin’ on Instagram Live began to circulate:
Unfortunately, The Jump host Rachel Nichols, who was off somewhere painting Easter eggs and minding her business, also got dragged into this mess and became a trending topic herself:
This prompted Nichol’s colleague, NFL reporter Jenna Laine, to sound the bells of war and point out how unsafe and unfair social media is to women and how it can have real-life consequences:
Look, Paul is a grown-ass man. He’s free and clear to do whatever the hell he wants to do off the clock, but you’ve gotta be a special type of stupid to deliberately draw this type of attention to your private life, especially when there’s a very real chance that it could jeopardize your ability to provide for your family. Is it that hard to keep your phone off? You’re really that pressed for some followers?
ESPN has a lengthy history of suspending its talent over statements or behavior expressed on social media. So while I’m unclear if Pierce still has a job, at the very least, he owes Rachel Nichols an apology for dragging her into his bullshit—intentional or not.