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3d ago

Rick Carlisle Defends Doris Burke as ESPN Evaluates Her Next-Season Role

Carlisle slammed the timing of ESPN’s leaks before Game 1, celebrating Burke’s role as a trailblazer for women in sports media.

ESPN commentator Doris Burke looks on before game two of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden.
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Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle speaks to the media on June 5, 2025.

Overview

  • ESPN has not guaranteed Burke a spot on its top NBA broadcast team beyond the Finals while executives review its commentator lineup for next season.
  • Before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle criticized the premature leaks about her contract and spotlighted her influence on aspiring female broadcasters.
  • Burke made history in 2024 as the first woman to serve as an analyst for a major men’s professional championship and is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.
  • Network decision-makers are debating whether to pair Burke with Mike Breen in a two-person booth or retain the current three-person team that includes Richard Jefferson.
  • ESPN plans to re-sign Jefferson, whose contract expires this summer, and keeps Mike Breen under a long-term deal, while Amazon Prime Video has expressed interest in Jefferson.