It was the second half of a 2011 Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament contest between Rutgers and St. John’s. ESPN analyst Doris Burke was using a replay to explain how St. John’s was adeptly forcing Rutgers ball handlers toward the sideline to weaken its opponents’ offense.
“St. John’s talks an awful lot about multiple extra defenders,” Burke noted. “They talk about that sideline being their help. Their priority defensively is keeping you on one side of the floor.”
As Burke narrated, analyst Fran Fraschilla used the telestrator to complement Burke’s point. It was excellent teamwork and one of the reasons Fraschilla and Burke — along with play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch — received plaudits from sports media members and viewers.
What the short-lived Pasch-Fraschilla-Burke booth lacked in frivolity, it made up for in perspicacity. Burke and Fraschilla — a former Division I head coach — analyzed the tournament using an almost professorial approach, challenging viewers to think while also properly chronicling the drama of Kemba Walker’s UConn Huskies and their magical run to the conference tournament title.
But that was 14 years ago. Today, as she works in another three-person booth — this time with play-by-play announcer Mike Breen and analyst Richard Jefferson on ESPN’s NBA Finals crew — Burke’s broadcast future is a bit uncertain.
According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, ESPN will use the offseason to evaluate its lead NBA crew and Burke’s spot is not guaranteed for next season.
This news caught the attention of Indiana Pacers head coach and former ESPN analyst Rick Carlisle, who used time during one of his NBA Finals press conferences to voice his support for Burke.
“Certainly, media people have experienced scrutiny,” Carlisle said. “Broadcasting, it’s a dynamic business and you’re subjected to things from unnamed sources. It’s just part of it. So, I saw the things that were leaked about Doris Burke, and I just want to say a couple things. Doris is a great example of courage and putting herself out there. It was just so sad to see these reports leaked, really, unnecessarily, before such a celebrated event.”
Others in the media have loudly defended Burke, including her broadcast partner Jefferson.
“Doris, I always call her the godmother of basketball, because she has had to deal with so much bull—t for the past 30 years in this industry,” Jefferson recently told Jimmy Traina on the SI Media Podcast. “She’s one of the best. And so those are the people you’re excited to be teammates with because they make you better; you make them better. And I think our chemistry is only going to continue to grow.”
While he has a right to stand by his broadcast partner, Jefferson is part of the problem, if not one of his own making. After letting go of longtime lead analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson in 2023, ESPN’s lead NBA booth has been plagued by instability. Burke is working with her third different analyst since being named as a lead commentator — first Doc Rivers, then J.J. Redick and now Jefferson.
Few objective observers would doubt Burke’s preparation or her ability to explain the game. She acutely noted during Game 1 of the Finals that Indiana G Andrew Nembhard was playing off Oklahoma City G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, aware of Gilgeous-Alexander’s cleverness at drawing fouls from defenders. She was also on top of Thunder forward Isaiah Hartenstein’s screening prowess, which came in handy after a Gilgeous-Alexander straight line drive to the rim off a Hartenstein pick.
But there are moments during games when Burke broadcasts with a disingenuous casualness, as if she’s looking for a way to trend on social media.
Take Game 1 of this year’s West Finals, when she referred to Gilgeous-Alexander as a “free-throw merchant.” Although she went on an ESPN PR podcast to explain the reference, it felt ‘un-Doris-like.’ Burke is an explainer, not an entertainer. She gained respect in this business as an analyst who could break down the game like a coach and appreciate the game’s competitors like an enthusiastically knowledgeable fan.
ESPN now faces a dilemma. After inexplicably firing Van Gundy and Jackson and clumsily handling its number one broadcast team in the years since, what will ESPN do with Doris Burke?
Given her longevity and performance, Burke deserves to hold on to her place in the lead booth as a solo analyst. Instead of insisting on a three-person crew, why not allow Breen and Burke to become the lead duo? A full season working with Breen and his meat and potatoes style — plus some intentional producing — could encourage Burke to deliver more of the informative analysis viewers expect from her.
The network, reportedly, is high on Tim Legler. If ESPN insists on a trio, Breen, Legler and Burke could be a treat. Viewers would expect high-level, insightful analysis from Legler and Burke. While there wouldn’t be much levity, the incisive commentary from the two plus Breen’s straight-shooting approach would elevate a broadcast.
Jefferson — if he re-signs with ESPN — could work with Ryan Ruocco on a secondary crew, giving ESPN a trio of two-person booths: Mike Breen-Doris Burke, Dave Pasch-Tim Legler and Ryan Ruocco-Richard Jefferson.
Should ESPN go another way and remove both Burke and Jefferson from the primary booth, Burke should still be given a prominent game analyst assignment. A reunion with Pasch or former partner Mark Jones would allow her to continue calling some of ESPN’s marquee contests.
Plus: Praise for ESPN’s WCWS coverage
While its lead NBA crew has been plagued by instability, ESPN’s Women’s College World Series booth has been steady and solid for years.
Beth Mowins, Jessica Mendoza, Michele Smith and Holly Rowe have worked the WCWS for 18 seasons. Last week, Mowins covered her 31st WCWS. Smith and Rowe covered their 21st. Viewers know what to expect and the trio delivers a smart broadcast every time.
And when the top trio wasn’t working, Orioles voice Kevin Brown was properly capturing the dramatic finish of Oklahoma-Texas Tech in the WCWS semifinal.
Oklahoma, in pursuit of its fifth straight WCWS title, fell to Texas Tech when Lauren Allred’s walk-off sac fly gave the Red Raiders the historic 3-2 win. After the winning run, Brown exclaimed, “Texas Tech has done it! They end the greatest dynasty in college softball history!”
Whether it’s Brown or Mowins, ESPN delivered on its coverage with broadcasters familiar with the sport. It’s an approach networks should apply no matter the sport.
