ESPN shifts Doris Burke from top NBA booth to No. 2 team, extension kept in place as part of new three-person mix
ESPN executive says the move was about pursuing the best combination for big games; Burke’s multi-year extension was announced the same day.
Doris Burke has been moved from ESPN’s top NBA broadcast team to the network’s No. 2 unit, as ESPN reorganizes its fall lineup around a three-person top roster and a continued emphasis on marquee games. Burke, a longtime analyst who spent two seasons in the marquee booth with play-by-play voice Mike Breen and various analysts, was replaced by Tim Legler for the upcoming campaign. On the same day Burke’s position was adjusted, ESPN announced a multi-year extension for Burke, who will now work with play-by-play partner Dave Pasch on the No. 2 team.
In explaining the decision, Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content, cited the search for the right combination to present the biggest games at the highest level. “I think it was the right decision because we were still searching for the perfect combination,” Magnus said in a recent podcast with The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch, as summarized by Awful Announcing. “Again, we’re talking about an A-plus-plus human being in Doris Burke here … There was no coincidence that we extended her at the same time we were putting her with a new partner.”
Magnus disclosed that Burke will be calling big, meaningful games in her new role relative to the top team, noting that the league’s most consequential broadcasts require careful matching of talent and schedule. “And so she’ll be calling big games, meaningful games in her new circumstance relative to the top team … And this is where, really, the expertise of our NBA production management, so Tim Corrigan, Mike McQuade in particular, just a feeling that that alignment gave us the best chance to make the best possible presentation of the biggest games. And really, when you boil it down, we’re talking about which team is going to call the Finals, or really, which team is going to call the Conference finals and the Finals. And beyond that, they all call big regular-season games.”
The decision comes after Burke spent two seasons on ESPN’s top NBA broadcasts, together with Breen and a rotating group that included Richard Jefferson most recently. Burke’s departure from the top booth follows ESPN’s broader reshuffling of its studio and game assignments after a prior year in which the network reshuffled the broadcast lineup following Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy’s exits in 2023. Burke had previously partnered with Doc Rivers before he took the Bucks coaching job, with JJ Redick stepping in to pair with Rivers and later being replaced by Jefferson. Tim Legler, a 3-point specialist in the 1990s with seven NBA clubs, has long been a respected ESPN studio voice and is now part of the top-remarket plan for the network’s NBA coverage.
“Tim is great. What a story,” Magnus said of Legler. “Twenty-five years plus at ESPN has done games, has done studio, has been with Scott Van Pelt on ‘SportsCenter,’ highly respected basketball mind, great communicator. I guess a little underappreciated over the years … by us. I think he had a ton of fans out there in NBA circles, both fans and professionals alike. So we’re excited to see him get a crack at being a part of this top team, and he’s earned it.”
Burke’s new role aligns with ESPN’s strategy of expanding flexibility in its NBA coverage, ensuring that top games are paired with analysts whose chemistry and experience can deliver high-stakes broadcasts, while still keeping Burke on a prominent stage with a dedicated play-by-play partner. The network emphasized that the scheduling framework will continue to prioritize marquee matchups, conference finals, and the Finals, with multiple high-profile regular-season games distributed across its senior broadcast teams.
As Burke resumes her career with Pasch in the No. 2 booth, the broader balance remains centered on delivering compelling storytelling and insightful analysis that complements the play-by-play narrative in a demanding postseason landscape. The shift also reflects ESPN’s ongoing emphasis on cultivating a versatile broadcast staff capable of delivering both traditional studio content and in-game commentary for the league’s most important moments.
The long view of Burke’s career at ESPN underscores how the network has evolved its on-air talent in response to changes in leadership and the broader sports-media landscape. The network’s willingness to extend Burke while redefining her role signals a continued commitment to her as a premier NBA voice, even as the top-division duties shift to newly configured ensembles. As ESPN plots its path through a competitive NBA season and a potential array of postseason broadcasts, Burke’s presence on the No. 2 team ensures strong game-by-game coverage while allowing room for the network to experiment with pairings that maximize the biggest moments on the hardwood.
Ultimately, ESPN’s approach reflects a broader industry truth: talent arrangements are dynamic, and networks frequently recalibrate to optimize the viewing experience for fans watching the most consequential games. For Burke, the move provides an opportunity to leverage her expertise in high-stakes matchups with a trusted play-by-play partner, while the network continues to structure its top team for flexibility, depth, and a renewed emphasis on headline games. As the season unfolds, observers will assess how the new three-person top team performs in the Finals and Conference finals landscape, and whether the configuration delivers the most engaging broadcasts for a sport that remains among the most widely watched in the world.