Paul Pierce Recalls Getting Fired From ESPN On His Day Off

Paul Pierce recently recalled the night that caused him to get fired from ESPN on the “I Am Athlete” podcast.

He was fired in April of 2021 for recording himself on Instagram Live playing cards with friends and smoking weed while surrounded by exotic dancers.

Paul was released from his ESPN NBA analyst contract two days after the video went viral.

He said he violated ESPN’s morals clause because the network is owned by Disney, but he still doesn’t feel like he did anything wrong.

I still don’t get it. Like, I mean, I got fired for what?…

I got fired for having some entertainment.

I’m playing cards, it’s my boy’s birthday, it’s girls dancing, and we blowing some trees.

I mean, what did I do wrong?…

I’m turned up I’m on Live, like, ‘Ah yeah, what’s up y’all?… We out here…’

No, but look, I’m getting a haircut too.

I’m getting a cut. It’s popping! You know what I’m saying?…

I don’t know why… I don’t ever go Live either.

I was just feeling my cut or something, and I was like…

Then it was popping behind me. It was like…

Look, the hood was feeling me.

Everybody was relating… Everybody could relate.

After detailing filming himself on Live, he talked about receiving the call from a higher-up at ESPN.

Nah, nah so they hit me. And it was a higher-up. It was a lady. I’m like, ‘Hello.’

She was like, ‘Yeah, were doing, you know, an investigation… Can you tell us what happened?’

And I’m like, ‘You didn’t see it?…

I was just hanging out.

Uh, playing cards.

It wasn’t my house.’

Uh, I mean it was self-explanatory, you know what I’m saying, so it was some girls dancing, and, you know, I had some OG.

It’s legal. I didn’t do nothing illegal, but you know at the end of the day it’s Disney.

And so they was like you know they have a morals clause, and they just said it wasn’t moral, whatever.

The only thing I was mad at about the whole thing is like my daughter seeing it.

Watch the clip of the Paul Pierce interview from the “I Am Athlete” podcast below.

About Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce is a former NBA star who is regarded by many as one of the greatest small forwards in NBA history. 

He was selected 10th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1998 NBA draft and went on to play 19 seasons in the league. 

Paul scooped an NBA championship with the Celtics in 2008 and was named the NBA Finals MVP that year. 

After a wonderful career in the league, Paul Pierce retired in 2017 with career averages of 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game.

Do you think ESPN (Disney) overreacted when they fired Paul?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the convo on our socials. (Facebook, Instagram).

Source: Sports Illustrated