Paul Pierce found himself at the center of some controversy this week when a video of him partying went viral.
In the clip the former Boston Celtics legend could be seen surrounded by strippers and having a great time hanging out with his friends.
Because Disney is a fairly clean-cut brand, the image of Pierce throwing down in R-rated fashion apparently didn’t sit well with executives.
On Monday, reports surfaced that ESPN was ‘parting ways’ with Pierce.
Source: ESPN parted ways with Paul Pierce effective immediately
— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) April 5, 2021
After the fact, Pierce came out and offered a response to ESPN’s decision.
Big Things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile #Truthshallsetufree pic.twitter.com/YIaJMcNQoH
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) April 5, 2021
It remains unclear what Pierce was thinking when he posted that stripper video on Instagram.
Multiple NBA stars, including Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards and Kyle Kuzma of the LA Lakers, had interesting responses to Pierce’s shenanigans.
LaMelo continuing to make a strong case for Rookie of the Year. https://t.co/hThv2JqlgN
— Game 7 (@game7__) April 4, 2021
While ESPN is obviously entitled to make whatever decision it sees fit regarding its employees, it’s worth remembering how they handled Jackie MacMullan earlier this year. She said some plainly racist stuff, and she faced no consequences. Pierce, meanwhile, partied on his own time and lost his job over it.
Is that fair? The answer probably depends on who you ask.
Related: 22nd Lawsuit Exposes Deshaun Watson’s Alleged Odd Sexual Requests
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
