Doris Burke extended by ESPN, but out on NBA Finals team

Field Level Media|published: 08/28/2025, 2:37pm EDT

Jun 11, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; TV personalities Doris Burke and Mike Breen on the court before game three of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Seattle Sounders and the FC Dallas at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Doris Burke signed a multi-year contract extension with ESPN, but she will no longer be part of the NBA Finals announcer team for ABC/ESPN, the company revealed Thursday.

Following an initial report of Burke's demotion in The Athletic, ESPN announced that Tim Legler will join the four-person "lead NBA broadcast team" in Burke's place. Mike Breen remains the main play-by-play man, Richard Jefferson will continue to be an analyst with Legler and Lisa Salters will become the main sideline reporter.

Burke, an ESPN veteran of more than 30 years, became the first woman to serve as a TV game analyst for a championship in one of the four major sports leagues when she called the 2024 NBA Finals.

She worked with Breen and Jefferson in the 2025 NBA Finals but it was reported as early as June that Burke might be headed for an adjusted role.

Burke will join play-by-play caller Dave Pasch on ESPN's No. 2 broadcast team in the 2025-26 season.

Burke, 60, entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 as that year's Curt Gowdy Media Award recipient.

--Field Level Media