Fairly unapologetic and seemingly unconcerned when he was let go by ESPN in April after going on Instagram Live on the Friday night of Easter Weekend with a room full of strippers while playing poker and smoking, ex-NBA sharpshooter Paul Pierce took some shots at his former employer over its coverage of LeBron James.
A fierce competitor who had many battles with James when he was a veteran and The King was ascending to his throne, Pierce said working at ESPN “wasn’t a great fit” while speaking with Sports Illustrated prior to being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday.
“I was done with them, anyway,” the 43-year-old told SI. “There’s a lot of stuff over there that you can’t say. And you have to talk about LeBron all the time.”
Never one to back down to James on the court, The Truth also didn’t apologize for anything in the video that ultimately led to ESPN making him a free agency NBA analyst.
“Come on, I didn’t do anything illegal,” Pierce said. “These motherfuckers in the Hall of Fame, some did [cocaine], fucking battery. What the fuck did I do? I was just having a good time. All the people coming after me, half you motherfuckers do the same shit. You’re just hiding it. And you all are married while you’re doing it. I’m divorced. I’m retired. I’m having fun.”
Based on the content of the video, it’s hard to argue with him about that. Look for Pierce to find a new gig soon.
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