The NBA legend is excited to be “free” of the shackles of ESPN, which he says has been a curse on his career. Pierce says LeBron’s decision to leave the Cavaliers for the Lakers in 2010 was one reason why he left Cleveland and joined the Wizards
Paul Pierce was surprised when he awakened on Sunday, April 4th. The Boston Celtics veteran checked his phone the following morning to see the footage had gone viral overnight after hastily shooting and deleting a brief Instagram Live video the night before with booze, marijuana, and strippers in the background.
Pierce was no longer employed by ESPN on Monday, April 5.
Pierce’s employment was abruptly terminated because he was partying with some pals while off the clock, and it must have been a jarring few days for him. But, a few months later, he’s totally unconcerned about what happened. In fact, he’s relieved to be free of ESPN’s LeBron James adoration.
Paul Pierce was fired from ESPN when his notorious stripper video went viral.
Pierce’s abrupt exit from ESPN was one of the year’s most bizarre sports tales. Here’s how it took happened, as Pierce just recounted to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix.
On the night of April 4, 2021, the NBA star-turned-talk show host gathered with his friends for a poker game. Pierce and his buddies stayed up all night drinking and smoking, even inviting a few dancers to join them.
Pierce decided to start filming an Instagram Live video while intoxicated to show his fans how much fun he was having on his night off. The alcohol, drugs, and, yes, even the strippers were all visible to viewers. Pierce only filmed for a few minutes before turning off the camera and deleting the footage. He thought the video would just fade into the darkness since there were only a few hundred people viewing live.
What Pierce didn’t realize is that anyone viewing Instagram Live videos on their phones can record them. He awoke the following morning to discover his name trending on the Internet. The video had been republished in its entirety.
Everywhere.
Pierce was laid off the next day.
Pierce is overjoyed to be free of ESPN’s LeBron James chains.
Paul Pierce attends Floyd Mayweather’s exhibition boxing fight against Logan Paul at Hard Rock Stadium | Johnny Nunez/Getty Images
For most individuals, losing a high-paying career would be a nightmare, but for Pierce, it turned out to be a gift in disguise. On a restricted television network, the former Celtic couldn’t reveal his real personality, and he was getting weary of gushing over LeBron James day in and day out.
But that’s what an ESPN on-air position entails.
Pierce told Mannix, “I was done with them anyhow.” “It wasn’t a good match. There’s a lot of things you can’t say over there. And you have to keep bringing up LeBron.”
He has no remorse about the stripper video that lost him his job.
The reality is that we only need a few people to adore us; we don’t need everyone to like us. Because the only thing greater than being widely liked is being completely known, which is impossible to do both professionally and personally if you’re too busy being likable to be yourself.
September 8, 2021 — Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34)
Pierce also stated in the same interview with Mannix that he doesn’t regret shooting the video that led to his firing from the Worldwide Leader in Sports. He still doesn’t think he did anything wrong to this day.
He replied, “Come on, I didn’t do anything unlawful.” “Some of these motherf—— in the Hall of Fame did [cocaine], f—ing battery,” says the narrator. What on earth did I do? I was just enjoying myself. Half of the individuals that come after me will do the same s—. You’re just concealing it. And you’re all married at the same time. I’m no longer married. I’m no longer working. I’m having a good time.”
On Saturday, Sept. 11, Pierce will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Pierce didn’t mince words when asked what would have occurred if his Instagram Live episode had led him to lose out on the 2021 class.
“Listen, it would be the toughest assignment in Hall of Fame history if I didn’t make it with this class.”
RELATED: ESPN’s Rachel Nichols Got Dragged Into Paul Pierce’s Instagram Live With a Room Full of Strippers and Alcohol
