Social Media Explodes as Rumors Spread That ESPN’s Rachel Nichols Had Affair With NBA Star

Did Rachel Nichols have an affair with an NBA star in 2020? NBA Insider Chris Haynes reported last year when the NBA was in the Orlando bubble last year, a security guard received a complaint of a “large thumping” in a hotel room during the quarantine period. The room belonged to Jimmy Butler, and when the security guard knocked on the door, Butler answered and said he was dribbling a basketball. On Tuesday, gossip site Jordan Thrilla reported that Butler was with Nichols at the time, and they were having an affair.

Once that report was released, social media exploded with its thoughts. This rumor comes at an interesting time for Nichols as she has taken heat for the comments she made about her fellow ESPN colleague Maria Taylor last year. A video of the incident was leaked to the New York Times this week, and ESPN has made the decision to pull Nichols from sideline reporting during the NBA Finals.

“So the first thing they teach you in journalism school is don’t be the story. And I don’t plan to break that rule today or distract from a fantastic Finals but I also don’t want to let this moment pass without saying how much I respect, how much I value our colleagues here at ESPN,” Nichols said on The Jump Monday. “How deeply, deeply sorry I am for disappointing those I hurt, particularly Maria Taylor, and how grateful I am to be a part of this outstanding team.” Here’s a look at social media reacting to the rumor.

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One fan wrote: “I’ll never ever understand what happened here and even when someone explains it to me, I’ll just remain oblivious.”

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It’s clear this fan is not happy with Butler. Again, this is just a rumor, meaning it’s likely that it didn’t happen. And if it did, Butler or Nichols will not talk about it. 

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One fan thinks that this isn’t the first time for Nichols. The person wrote: “I know Jimmy wasn’t her first rodeo ( ENTANGLEMENT ).”

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Another person wrote: “Jimmy can get whatever he wants pretty much. Scheming with an older married woman don’t make sense but whatever.”

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“My prayers go out to Jimmy Butler… his therapist and girlfriend Rachel Nichols is in a really tough place rn,” a social media user wrote. “Now he won’t have anyone to cry too after wanting to give up on his team.”

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Another person wrote: “Dog this Jimmy Butler Rachel Nichols shit is HILARIOUS and now Ersan Ilyasova in the mix too. 

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Fans looked back at past interviews with Nichols and Butler to see if they were into each other. Nichols is married and has two kids. Butler and his girlfriend have a daughter who was born in 2019.