Doris Burke Could Be Calling Her Last NBA Finals for ESPN

The World Wide Leader could once again shake things up in the broadcast booth.

Doris Burke looks on before game two of the 2024 NBA Finals. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

ESPN's three-person booth of Mike Breen, Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson is set to call the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers starting on Thursday, June 5. According to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, it might be their last as a team.

In a column detailing the Worldwide Leader's future plans, Marchand wrote that while the network "intends on re-signing" Jefferson—who replaced now-Lakers coach JJ Redick—Burke's standing with the top team is a little more uncertain.

"Burke’s spot is not guaranteed for next season ..." he wrote. "While Breen, the Basketball Hall of Famer under a long-term deal, is not going anywhere, ESPN will evaluate its entire roster."

"ESPN executives will debate what is next, with one discussion likely centering around if they feel Burke is better on a two-person team as opposed to the three-person team," Marchand continued.

Burke has been working for ESPN since 1991. She was promoted to their lead NBA broadcast team in 2023 after Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson were laid off, making her the first woman to serve as a TV analyst for a major American sports men's championship.

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