Ex-NBA star Paul Pierce was fired by ESPN after he livestreamed a wild weekend on Instagram live.
In the racy livestream, Pierce and friends are seen drinking and smoking in a room full of scantily-clad exotic dancers.
The raunchy nature of the video, alongside basic COVID-19 safety protocols, clearly being ignored, were likely breaking point for ESPN, which is owned by the family-friendly Walt Disney Company.
Pierce is a married man of ten years and a father of three, yet seemed unfazed when it came to broadcasting the shocking string of videos.
“What does your wife think?” one viewer asked as his friends threw poker chips at the women dancing behind them.
Sources close to ESPN told the New York Post they were particularly concerned that Pierce put the videos out himself.
According to the publication, the NBA superstar may have been able to keep his job if he had been filmed without his knowledge.
Pierce has been with ESPN as an NBA analyst since the start of the 2017-18 season, following his retirement from the league after the 2016-17 season.
The 43-year-old was a 10-time-All-Star with the Boston Celtics and an NBA champion, who may be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this year.
Pierce was also a top contributor on the shows NBA Countdown and The Jump.
Paul Pierce says he’s still ‘winning’ despite getting fired
Since the star’s dismissal, Pierce appears to be keeping in high spirits, although he is yet to officially address the news.
On Monday, Paul uploaded a three-second video of himself laughing on Twitter, alongside the cryptic caption, “Big things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile #Truthshallsetufree”.
“I can’t lose even when I lose I’m winning,” Pierce added in a follow-up tweet.
Taking to the same platform that got him fired, Pierce shared a message thanking fans for their support, alongside the caption, “Better things on the Way #truth”
“Yo, just want to thank all my supporters and thank my haters and everything,” Pierce posted in an Instagram video. “Check it out, bigger and better things coming, baby. Don’t worry about it. You fall twice, you get up three times. Just always remember to smile, baby.”
Twitter reacts to Paul Pierce’s Instagram live
Naturally, Pierce’s polarizing video caused a stir on Twitter, and some of the reactions were comedy gold.
“Paul Pierce didn’t want that damn job,” quipped one fan, presumably referring to the star’s very un-bothered reaction on Monday.
Pierce was even offered a job by none other than the ‘wolf of wall street’, Jordan Belfort.