Just before the 2021 NBA Finals were set to begin, a bombshell report caused quite the shakeup at ESPN. Comments from Rachel Nichols back in the Bubble about how Maria Taylor only getting her job as host of ESPN and ABC’s NBA Finals coverage because she was Black and ESPN has an issue with a lack of diversity emerged and led to Nichols being taken off of sideline duty for the Suns-Bucks series.
Nichols continued to host The Jump during the Finals, but after the season ended she was not hosting the show as the offseason wore on and rumors swirled about her future at the company. Sure enough, word emerged in late August that Nichols’ time at ESPN was done, as The Jump would be canceled and with just a year left on her contract, she would simply no longer be part of ESPN’s NBA coverage until her deal ran up. During that last week of The Jump, Malika Andrews — who had taken over sideline duties for the NBA Finals and did a tremendous job at the trophy ceremony — took over as host and that quick audition apparently impressed the ESPN execs enough that they gave her the new daily NBA show that will take the place of The Jump this fall, as ESPN announced on Monday.
ESPN is launching a new studio show NBA Today, beginning on Monday, October 18, just prior to the October 19 tipoff of the 2021-22 NBA regular season. ESPN NBA journalist Malika Andrews will host NBA Today as part of a new, multi-year contract extension. Andrews will be joined by ESPN NBA analysts Kendrick Perkins, Chiney Ogwumike, Vince Carter and ESPN Senior Writer Zach Lowe to form the NBA Today panel. Additionally, ESPN Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski and ESPN NBA Insider and Senior Writer Ramona Shelburne will be among several top ESPN NBA reporters contributing updates from around the league.
“It’s an incredible time to cover the NBA – a league that is full of characters and stories that have resonance far beyond the sports world,” Andrews said in a release. “Our goal every day is to deliver information and analysis to our viewers that can’t be gleaned anywhere else. I’m so excited to showcase the league and the talented reporters, analysts and insiders on our team.”
Andrews will reportedly get a contract extension to go along with her new role, and the crew of Ogwumike, Carter, Lowe, and Perkins will provide an interesting mix of voices — all of whom spent time on The Jump as well. The show will be a year-round presence on ESPN, including being on-site for big events like All-Star and the Finals. The final episode of The Jump will air on October 8.
