Doc, Doris In The House: ESPN Unveils Revamped NBA Game, Studio Coverage

By Barry Janoff

August 14, 2023: NBA champion head coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers will join Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcasters Doris Burke and Mike Breen to form the new lead commentator team as part of ESPN’s rebooted NBA game and studio coverage plans for the 2023-24 season.

ESPN has reached a multi-year deal with Rivers as well as a multi-year extension with Burke.

ESPN said the trio, along with reporter Lisa Salters, would call the NBA Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, NBA Playoffs, Christmas Day and the NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC series.

The team will make its debut during ESPN’s opening week of NBA coverage in October.

In addition, ESPN said today that Bob Myers, two-time NBA Executive of the Year who helped guide the Golden State Warriors to four NBA championships, has joined ESPN to serve as both a studio analyst and game analyst.

No longer with the network are long-time lead NBA analysts and commentators Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and Jalen Rose.

“It’s been a difficult time, which has been reported. We have nothing but the utmost respect and appreciation for the contributions of both Jeff and Mark,” Dave Roberts, ESPN head of event and studio production,” said today during a media conference call.

“When you make difficult decisions, they’re difficult on several fronts. What I see is, okay, we have to make sure that we continue to present the top-notch quality product that’s been the case with our NBA coverage throughout the term of our contracts with the NBA, and we feel very confident that in Doc Rivers, Doris Burke with Mike Breen, we will continue to carry that tradition.”

According to Roberts, “At the end of the day, the expectations or required dollars impacted or personnel impacted were met, and it doesn’t mean that we’re not going to operate the business to the max to put the best quality product on the air,. And at the end of the day, that’s exactly what happened.

“While we had talent impacted by these cuts, our mission was to make sure that, again, the quality was not going to be impacted. What you see (today) is representative of that fact.”

ESPN’s new second NBA broadcast team for the season will feature play-by-play voice Ryan Ruocco with analysts JJ Redick and Richard Jefferson.

ESPN has also reached an extension with Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Hubie Brown, who will begin his 20th season with ESPN and his 50th season in the NBA, primarily working with Mark Jones and Dave Pasch.

Burke, who has called the NBA Finals on ESPN Radio the last four seasons, will become the first woman to serve as a television analyst for the championship event. She was also the NBA Finals on ABC sideline reporter for nine years.

Rivers, a veteran head coach of 25 years and player of 14 years, previously called the NBA Finals on ABC in 2004. He won the 2008 NBA championship as head coach of the Boston Celtics and most recently was head coach for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Breen is entering his 19th season as the voice of the NBA Finals and ESPN’s lead NBA play-by-play commentator.

“Doris has proven herself as one of the top analysts covering the NBA for quite some time,” said Roberts. "I’m looking forward to seeing her and the chemistry she already has with Doc Rivers. They’re close friends and they have a mutual respect for one another, both professionally and personally, and those are key ingredients to just having the kind of chemistry you have to have on any team.

“With Doc Rivers, you have someone who’s fresh off the bench. Doc has done this job before, but more importantly, he has the type of insight that’s necessary as we talk about the relevancy and currency of the NBA going into the next season and beyond.”

Malika Andrews, the host of NBA Today and Wednesday editions of NBA Countdown, will now host all of ESPN and ABC’s NBA Countdown shows, including NBA Finals pre-game and halftime broadcasts.

Analyst Stehen A. Smith, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame journalist Michael Wilbon, and ESPN senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski will also all return to the show.

Myers will appear on the ABC editions of NBA Countdown, including for the NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC and NBA Sunday Showcase on ABC series during the regular season and throughout the NBA Playoffs. He will also call games during the season.

“Bob Myers is a very unique talent. As an executive, his track record speaks for itself,” said Roberts. “We’re not in the business of playing ‘gotcha’ television, so what I look for in someone like a Bob Myers is his insight, his track record, and the fact that he is one of the most highly respected executives in any sports league.

“So, the fact that he’s going to be on Countdown, providing analysis, and on the games doing analysis with whomever he’s going to be paired with, whether it’s Mark Jones or Pasch, we’re going to be in a very strong position with him in that role.”

ESPN’s second core NBA broadcast team of Ruocco, Redick and Jefferson will call the NBA Sunday Showcase series on ABC, plus work together for other marquee events throughout the season and into the NBA Playoffs.

Jefferson’s expanded game analyst role is part of a multi-year extension with ESPN. The team will make its debut during ESPN’s opening week of NBA coverage in October.

“The ESPN brand is among the top if not the top brand in sports among any business, but when you look at, again, the difference between us and Turner — who by the way, I have nothing but the utmost respect for what they do, Barkley, Shaq, Kenny Smith and of course Ernie — we both serve the NBA in very distinctive ways,” Roberts said during the media conference call.

“We’re not Turner. I don’t want to be Turner because I know we’re not Turner. It’s not our brand and it’s not our mission because we have a different menu of programming and content across all kinds of platforms here at ESPN.

“Part of what we are about is not only the excellent reporting that we have, but we’re already looking at everything from the fact that it’s going to be LeBron’s 20th All-Star Game if he gets to that point . . .  the in-season tournament, . . . right up to the 20th anniversary of Summer League next year.

“We’re in a great position with the depth of our talent. We believe that the chemistry will continue to improve just based on the moves that we’ve made. So, we’re going to be ready for the season.”

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