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Sports Seriously, USA TODAY
ESPN is close to promoting Doris Burke to the NBA Finals crew and hiring Doc Rivers to replace Mark Jackson, according to the New York Post.
Burke would become the first woman TV analyst on NBA Finals coverage.
While there were discussions that Jackson might be relegated to the second team with Mark Jones, he has instead been let go by ESPN, according to Peter Vecsey. He had two years remaining on his contract and now joins a long list of ESPN talent to leave the company this summer.
ESPN declined to comment when contacted by USA Today.
On Monday night, Jackson released a statement on social media.
“This morning, unexpectedly, I was informed that my services were no longer needed at ESPN,” Jackson wrote. “Although shocked and dismayed with the suddenness of it all, I would like to thank ESPN and all the staff of the NBA ESPN crew for allowing me to be a part of the organization for the past 15+ years. I would also like to thank the NBA fans watching at home and in the arenas throughout the league for all of your support. To the NBA, a heartfelt thank you for allowing a kid to continue to accomplish his dreams.”
Jackson, paired with top NBA commentator Jeff Van Gundy (who was laid off by ESPN last month) and Mike Breen, was part of the NBA Finals coverage since 2015.
Rivers would join Burke and Breen on the company’s No. 1 NBA coverage team. Burke had already been doing radio coverage of the Finals. Rivers, a former coach, makes his return to the broadcast booth after a brief one year stint in 2004 with ABC.
The Post first reported that the changes left Jackson “in peril” and that if he balked at being on the network’s second team, he could be leaving the company. The Post’s Andrew Marchand then joined Vescey in reporting that Jackson is out at ESPN.
ESPN could have paired Burke and Jackson together, but there were strong feelings they would not have the same chemistry as Jackson and Van Gundy, the Post reported. Burke and Rivers are also more popular at the league offices and pleasing the NBA can be beneficial in the long run with ESPN’s media rights deals up in two years.
