The biggest name — so far — in ESPN’s latest round of layoffs is longtime lead NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy.
The New York Post reported Friday that Van Gundy has been laid off from ESPN, ending an uninterrupted 16-year tenure that began midway through the 2007 NBA Playoffs. He joined the lead team of Mike Breen and Mark Jackson just weeks after being fired from the Houston Rockets and remained there through this past season — including a brief stretch as the solo lead analyst when Jackson left to coach the Golden State Warriors.
Outspoken and never afraid to voice his opinions about the state of the league, Van Gundy called more NBA Finals games with ABC than any other analyst in league history.
ESPN/ABC was Van Gundy’s second stint in television, following a short run with TNT between his jobs with the Knicks and Rockets. He worked with Marv Albert and Mike Fratello on TNT’s lead team in the 2002-03 season and on more than one occasion was paired with his future ABC partner Breen.
In addition to Van Gundy, ESPN is also said to be parting ways with Jalen Rose, who had been the one constant on its revolving door studio team for more than a decade.
More on ESPN’s layoffs to come.
(News from NYP 6.30)
