The New York Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons on Sunday to take a 3-1 series lead in their first round playoff matchup. Detroit's own Jalen Rose, a retired NBA player and former ESPN employee, was sitting courtside to support his hometown team and was featured promienently during the broadcast.
Rose's former co-worker at ESPN, Bill Simmons, had some strong feelings about ESPN showing Rose throughout their broadcast considering they laid him off not so long ago.
"I don't think you need to show Jalen Rose 15 times after you f------ laid him off two years ago three minutes before he was about to do a Get Up segment," Simmons told Ryen Russillo. "And he gets a call and says, don't go on Get Up because you're about to be laid off. Maybe don't show him over and over again during the game you motherf------. Aggregate that. I don't care."
Russillo, playing devil's advocate said, "doesn't Jalen want to be on TV?" Simmons laughed and continued.
"Maybe there's truth in both sides," Simmons said as they laughed. "Hey, there's Jalen Rose! We completely blindsided him two years ago after he did 15 years of great work for our company. He seems happy. Just classic. Just can't get over that place."
Simmons had his own issues with ESPN that led to him leaving in May 2015. He announced the launch of The Ringer in 2016. While he was with ESPN he did a lot of NBA content with Rose.
Rose remained with ESPN until they announced he was being laid off in June 2023. Jeff Van Gundy, Max Kellerman and Keyshawn Johnson were also among the personalities let go as ESPN as the company engaged in what was officially called a "Public-Facing Commentator Exercise."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bill Simmons Rips ESPN for Showing Former Employee Jalen Rose During Knicks-Pistons.