ESPN Part Ways With Paul Pierce After His Instagram Live Feed Went Viral April 6, 2021 Source: ESPN parted ways with Paul Pierce effective immediately— Ryan Glasspiegel (@sportsrapport) April 5, 2021 NBA Countdown, The Jump, and in other NBA coverage for the network ever since. 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. The video made headlines during the recording and afterward. Advertisement Pierce appeared to respond to the news by posting a video of himself laughing on Twitter Monday, promising “big things”.