Report: Paul Pierce Fired by ESPN After Former Celtics Star's IG Live Video

Paul Pierce's time with ESPN reportedly is over.

According to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, ESPN let Pierce go after he posted a "racy Instagram video on Friday." 

Sportswriter Ryan Glasspiegel was the first to report the network and Pierce had parted ways.

Ryan Young of Yahoo Sports provided more context on the video, noting "Pierce went live on Instagram on Friday night in a room full of dancers while smoking, drinking and apparently playing poker with his friends—all while clearly ignoring basic COVID-19 safety protocols—in a string of videos that made waves on social media."

The former Boston Celtics star was a featured commentator on ESPN's NBA Countdown and The Jump. The network hired Pierce in a full-time role in 2017 after he made appearances on its basketball programming in a guest role.

Pierce tweeted a video of himself laughing with the caption "Big Things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile #Truthshallsetufree" after the reports:

He played for the Celtics for 15 seasons after they selected him with the No. 10 overall pick of the 1998 NBA draft. He spent his final four seasons in the NBA on the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers.

The Kansas product was a 10-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection during a career that featured one championship.