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ESPN introduced some modifications Thursday for its NBA broadcast groups going into the 2025-26 season — amongst them, a promotion for Tim Legler and a contract extension (but additionally a demotion) for Doris Burke.
Legler will be part of the community’s lead NBA crew, which additionally contains play-by-play announcer Mike Breen, fellow analyst Richard Jefferson and reporter Lisa Salters.
That crew will name the 2026 NBA Finals on ABC, in addition to the convention finals, a number of first- and second-round playoff video games, a Christmas Day recreation and NBA Saturday Primetime video games on ABC.
Legler is a former NBA journeyman who received the league’s three-point capturing contest through the 1996 All-Star festivities. He retired as a participant in 2000 and joined ESPN as an analyst the identical yr.
ESPN didn’t present particulars on Burke’s contract extension, aside from to say it’s for a number of years. In response to a press launch, Burke will name “full slates of video games all through the common season and the NBA playoffs” on ESPN and ABC with play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch.
Burke has been with ESPN since 1991 and joined the community’s lead NBA broadcast crew in 2023. When she known as the 2024 NBA Finals, she turned the primary lady to function a TV recreation analyst for a championship-round recreation in one of many 4 main skilled U.S. males’s sports activities leagues.
In 2018, Burke acquired the Naismith Basketball Corridor of Fame’s Curt Gowdy Media Award for excellent contributions to basketball.
The information that Burke’s future with the lead NBA crew was up within the air was first reported by The Athletic in June forward of the 2025 Finals. Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle spoke in assist of Burke throughout his information convention earlier than Sport 1.
“She’s modified the sport for girls in broadcasting,” Carlisle mentioned. “Doris is a good instance of braveness and placing herself on the market.”
Additionally on Thursday, ESPN introduced a multi-year extension for Jefferson, who has been with the community since 2019 and known as his first NBA Finals this yr.
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