Rachel Nichols got a nice publicity bump for her new show The Jump on ESPN when former NBA superstar Tracy McGrady was hired by the network. One part of McGrady’s new gig will be joining Nichols for some straight talk on the current NBA scene. Nichols’ show is expected to live up to its name, jumping out of the gym and featuring fast jump-cuts as well. The Jump is a half-hour program designed to move fast. It’ll run M-F at 3:30pm.
Nichols brings a great resume, real knowledge and engaging screen presence to The Jump. She worked for ESPN for nearly a decade before jumping to CNN/Turner — where her all-around game, which had seen mostly football action, transitioned into heavy basketball rotation. Nichols worked both the NCAA and the NBA at TNT — she’s a familiar face to hoops fans. (She also did baseball, and won fans for taking on NFL commish Roger Goodell and boxer Floyd Mayweather.) A former Washington Post writer and graduate of Northwestern’s prestigious journalism program, Nichols will make the most of The Jump. Her previous eponymous show, Unguarded with Rachel Nichols, didn’t find the audience it should have.
