Doris Burke has been demoted from ESPN’s broadcast team for the NBA Finals after becoming the first woman to serve as part of the analyst team across all major United States sports during last year’s NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. However, the Athletic reported last year that her position in the finals broadcast team was in jeopardy and that she could be replaced. Turns out that they were right. The news of Burke’s demotion comes as a shock to most in the NBA, and she has received an outpouring of support from fans and even Rick Carlisle.
Doris Burke has become an icon of sports broadcasting
Doris Burke joined the iconic sports broadcaster ESPN way back in 1990 and has been part of the broadcasting of the NBA in one way or another since 2009. Her time covering the NBA has garnered massive support from fans and NBA insiders alike. She has even featured in the 2K video game franchise, cementing her legacy as one of the all-time greats in sports broadcasting.
She is not being fired, she simply has been demoted as the heads at ESPN assessed her role as part of the Finals broadcasting team and opted to go for Tim Legler instead. She was given a multi-year contract extension to soften the blow of being demoted. She will continue to call games during the regular season alongside Dave Pasch. The new deal means that Burke’s tenure with ESPN will reach the 35-year mark.
Support pours in for Doris Burke following her demotion at ESPN
Doris Burke has been a part of the NBA for longer than most fans of the sport have been alive. Her experience and analytical skills have led her to mentor several female sports broadcasters. She was honored with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2018, an award given to honor outstanding contributions to basketball through the media.
ESPN also gave Richard Jefferson a new multi-year contract as well. The former San Antonio Spurs player and NBA champion showed his support for his colleague by wearing a “My Favorite Broadcaster is Doris Burke” T-shirt during an interview after Game 1 of the Finals last year. Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle voiced his support for Burke, too. The news comes on the back of a recent media deal that will see ESPN streaming all US sports on a new app.
“She has changed the game for women in broadcasting. Doris is a great example of courage and putting herself out there. It was just so sad to see the reports leaked, really unnecessarily, before such a celebrated event. Doris is a friend. I’ve asked her many times when is she getting into coaching, because she has such great knowledge. There are many women who she’s paved the way for.”
Doris Burke will go down as a monumental figure in sports broadcasting
Her time with ESPN has enabled Doris Burke to become the most popular woman in sports broadcasting, of which there are many. But none of those female broadcasters and analysts would be in the position they are if it were not for Burke’s lengthy and pioneering career. With the NBA consumed by the ever-changing trade situation that several teams are facing at the moment, the news of Burke’s demotion has not gone down well with the fans and her colleagues. At least she is not going to disappear from our screens and will serve as an integral part of the NBA for many more years to come. So we can all take some solace in that.
