Following his illustrious NBA career, Paul Pierce affectionately known as “The Truth,” went on to become an NBA analyst on ESPN in 2017, after guest appearances during the 2016 and 2017 NBA Finals.
Pierce’s tenure was marred with question marks about his lack of preparedness during certain segments, and in 2019 he saw his role reduced at the network.
That was just the beginning, because in April 2021 a video of Pierce and women in bikinis surfaced on Instagram. In the video the women could also be seen twerking while Pierce smoked a blunt and sipped alcohol from his cup.
ESPN immediately fired him, and since that time Pierce has never really talked much about the incident. That is until a recent appearance on the “I Am Athlete” podcast.
Pierce Says It Was Just Entertainment
During the interview, Pierce seemed a bit confused as to why he was fired, and even told hosts Brandon Marshall, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson this.
“I got fired for having some entertainment. I’m playing cards. It’s my boy’s birthday. It’s girls dancing, and we’re blowing some tree. What did I do wrong?”
Pierce went on to say he doesn’t even go live normally, but this particular day he was feeling good and feeling himself.
“I don’t go live either, I was just feeling my haircut or something, and then it was popping behind me,” Pierce said.
Podcast host Marshall said it looked like an “orgy.”
The group also made a reference to the movie “Friday,” teasing Pierce about getting “fired on his day off.”
It was all in fun, with McCoy even chiming in, saying to Pierce, “Shorty did look thick though! If you’re gonna get fired go out like that!”
Did Pierce Violate ESPN’s Code Of Conduct?
ESPN is owned by Disney, and that means you have to walk the straight and narrow — or at least give the perception that you do. Pierce told the guys he violated the network’s morals clause.
“At the end of the day, it’s Disney, and they have a morals clause, and they just said it was immoral.”
