<p>NBA analyst Paul Pierce has been fired by ESPN, people familiar with the situation confirmed Monday.</p>
<p>The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to publicly comment on personnel matters.</p>
<p>The news was first reported by Barrett Sports Media.</p>
<p>Pierce, who played 19 seasons in the NBA, had worked for the network since 2017, including being a part of the “NBA Countdown" pregame show. He posted an Instagram video Friday night that showed him playing poker and smoking with scantily clad dancers performing in the background.</p>
<p>Pierce, the MVP of the 2008 NBA Finals with the Boston Celtics, addressed his future on Twitter, posting, “Big Things coming soon stay tuned make sure u smile #Truthshallsetufree.”</p>
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<p>More AP NBA: <a href="https://apnews.com/hub/NBA">https://apnews.com/hub/NBA</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AP_Sports">https://twitter.com/AP_Sports</a> </p>
