On Monday, ESPN commentator Rachel Nichols addressed the controversy over her remarks about the network’s diversity policies reported over the weekend.
Appearing on NBA Countdown, Nichols offered an unreserved apology for her comments reported on Sunday by the New York Times.
Nichols began her apology saying that she violated the tenet of reporters not becoming the story.
“The first thing they teach you in journalism school is don’t be the story. I don’t plan to break that rule today,” she said.
Nichols quickly got to the meat of her apology.
“But I also don’t want to let this moment pass without saying how much I respect and how much I value our colleagues here at ESPN. How deeply, deeply sorry I am for disappointing those I hurt, particularly, Maria Taylor,” she continued.
Nichols did not mention what things she said that she should apologize for, but in its Sunday report, the Times wrote that Nichols was outed by a recorded phone call from last year in which she is heard slamming ESPN for giving black reporter Maria Taylor an on-air job that Nichols thought she should have gotten.
ESPN’s diversity polices were also called into question during the recorded call. Nichols told Adam Mendelsohn, an adviser for L.A. Lakers star LeBron James, that she didn’t want what she had worked for taken away just for ESPN’s drive for diversity.
Nichols’ year-old recording has been a subject of controversy inside the cable sports channel and even dragged Mendelsohn into the spotlight this weekend.
Mendelsohn issued an apology of his own on Monday.
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