Rachel Nichols & Candace Parker

Episode 24 of the Sports Media Podcast features guests Rachel Nichols of ESPN and Candace Parker of Turner Sports. Nichols is the host of The Jump and a longtime reporter whose resume includes CNN, Turner Sports and the Washington Post. Parker Is a future Basketball Hall of Famer who recently joined the NBA on TNT and NBA TV as an analyst. She currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. In this podcast, Nichols discusses how The Jump gets put together daily; who she thinks is watching her show; women getting solo hosting jobs in the sports media; how much attention she pays to her show’s ratings; the impact of having an afternoon time slot; whether she considers NBA Countdown a competitor or complement to her show; what ESPN management has told her about the long-term prospects of her show; how her interview with Minnesota star forward Jimmy Butler came about; whether she feels Butler used her as part of a media strategy; why Mark Cuban agreed to go on with her to answer questions about sexual harassment in the Dallas Mavericks’ organization; what she expects from LeBron James in Los Angeles this season, and much more. Parker discusses why she took the job with Turner Sports; what her broadcasting schedule will be; how she plans on approaching sports broadcasting; what it means for her international basketball career now that she has a job with Turner Sports; the impact of her 9-year-old daughter on this decision; how she compartmentalizes her time; how much it helps a professional athlete with an interest in broadcasting to be interviewed over the years; why Michael Strahan gave her the best broadcasting advice; how she sees the evolution of the WNBA; her greatest starting five in WNBA history; the player she would chose today to build an WNBA franchise around; what she expects from the Eastern Conference this year; whether she is happy to see Tennessee playing UConn again in women’s college basketball, and much more.  You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher and more.