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Nichols, well-known as a basketball studio host and reporter,
hosted the daily basketball show for five years.
Her status at ESPN had been shaky in recent months, however,
since a tape leaked in which Nichols said the network promoted
Maria Taylor to host the coverage of the 2020 NBA Finals in an
effort to promote diversity.
Taylor, who is Black, left ESPN in July when her contract
expired and immediately joined NBC to work on its coverage of
the Tokyo Olympics.
Nichols addressed the cancellation of "The Jump" on Twitter.
"Got to create a whole show and spend five years hanging out
with some of my favorite people talking about one my favorite
things," she said, peppering her sentence with heart and
basketball emojis. "An eternal thank you to our amazing
producers & crew - The Jump was never built to last forever but
it sure was fun. More to come..."
ESPN did not say whether Nichols will appear on the network
again or whether she will sit the remainder of her contract on
the sidelines. The Washington Post reported her contract expires
in 2023.
"We mutually agreed that this approach regarding our NBA
coverage was best for all concerned," said Dave Roberts, who
oversees NBA production, in a statement released by ESPN.
"Rachel is an excellent reporter, host and journalist, and we
thank her for her many contributions to our NBA content."
With the start of the 2021-22 NBA season just two months away,
ESPN must replace both Taylor and Nichols in their prominent NBA
roles. The New York Times also reported a new daily show to
succeed "The Jump" likely will be developed.
Nichols worked at ESPN from 2004-13, then returned in 2016 with
the launch of "The Jump."
--Field Level Media
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