But Nichols hasn’t always been on the air, believe it or not.
So what else is there to know about America’s basketball queen?
Read on to learn about the untold truth of Rachel Nichols, journalist extraordinaire.
“I knew pretty early.
That shows just how suited she was for her industry it was practically her destiny!
“From the beginning, sports seemed like the best gig to me,” she continued.
Actually, as an adult, I still think that sometimes.”
Looks like she truly found the secret to making work fun.
That takes someseriousacademic chops.
What an honor, indeed.
Nichols shared an excerpt of the speech on herInstagrampage sounds like it was a fun and engaging speech!
But television was already reaching its tendrils out to her, beckoning her into the field.
Thus began the inevitable evolution of Nichols into a TV sports journalist.
Understandably, people were outraged.
Nichol’sreportingappeared to expose the gaffes of the NFL and had a real impact.
Don’t mess with Nichols!
She also interviewed famous boxer Floyd Mayweather, who’s served time for domestic violence, according toESPN.
“It’s just not caught on video, if that’s safe to say.
You know I wish Ray Rice nothing but the best.
He’s probably going through a lot right now because football is his love.”
He later apologized for the remarks.
This didn’t escape the attention of Nichols, who took him to task onCNN.
“You are someone with a history of domestic violence yourself.
You’ve even been to jail for it.
Why should fans root for you with this kind of history?”
Mayweather denied any wrongdoing in the interview, saying that theallegationsagainst him are unsubstantiated.
“The denial there with Mayweather is truly amazing, right?”
she said after the interview segment ended.
Louder again for the people in the back!
then hushed and silenced by HR.
They also kept someone on staff who pleaded guilty to domestic violence.
At the end of the monologue, Nichols called for the NBA to do better.
“People love the word ‘catfight;’ they love to pit women against each other.”
It’s so nice to see women supporting women!
That camaraderie and lack of pettiness is something that Nichols truly appreciates in her profession, too.
“You really see incredible support.
Hey, there’s nothing unsexy about sisterhood, boo!
One windy winter day she spent covering an NFL game forSportscenterin Buffalo stands out for her in particular.
“‘Fall’ isn’t even the right word.
I was swept aside by the wind,” she continued.
“I was literally moved across the screen.
That legit sounds pretty hilarious, given that Nichols was okay.
Additionally, her husband’s stepmother is none other than thefamous journalist Diane Sawyer.
Talk about a star-studded family!
So how is it that such a #relationshipgoals power couple met?
It wasn’t at a sporting event, surprisingly, or on a blind date set up by friends.
And, of course, the rest is history.
That doesn’t mean that the people she works with and around aren’t empathetic, though.
“More than half the athletes I cover have kids.”
So at least she’s not alone.
In fact, the athletes she works with have been a huge help to her in the past.
We wonder what kind of parenting adviceLeBron Jamesgives!
Can you imagine the energy that was in that room?
But Nichols feels that events of that caliber aren’t what they used to be anymore.
Who can argue with that, especially after the2019 Super Bowl?
Makes perfect sense, right?
“But you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Of course things could go in any direction!
“And it seemed so much better than working in an office.”
Surely working court-side at an NBA game is better than pushing paper!
Take one look at herInstagrampage, and you’ll see her rubbing shoulders with everyone fromShaqtoAllen IversontoScottie Pippen.
To say she’s lucky would be an understatement.
“I first did a project with LeBron James when he was in high school.
We totally get why she made that choice.
He IS LeBron, after all!
Her career has certainly afforded her access to some of the best athletic competitions out there.
So, what does she recommend that every sports fan put on their bucket list?
Certainly that would be a high-stakes event with tons of drama.
But Nichols thinks there’s a better way to truly experience the excitement of the sports world.
That’s one way to capture the energy!
