After letting go of Jeff Van Gundy last month, ESPN/ABC has also laid off fellow analyst Mark Jackson, sources tell Andrew Marchand of The New York Post. Jackson confirmed the news in an interview with Peter Vecsey, Marchand adds (via Twitter).
As Marchand writes, the new top NBA broadcast team at ESPN/ABC will be comprised of longtime play-by-play announcer Mike Breen, former Sixers head coach Doc Rivers, and Doris Burke, who is being promoted. The hiring of Rivers and promotion of Burke aren’t yet official, but they are “quickly moving in that direction,” according to Marchand.
Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald confirms Marchand’s reporting (via Twitter).
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- The Suns‘ Deandre Ayton and Eric Gordon, Pacers wing Buddy Hield, and Hornets big man Kai Jones are on the 2024 Olympic qualifying roster for the Bahamas, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape. The Bahamian national team will play its qualifying games in Argentina from August 14-20. “I’m excited to be back playing for Team Bahamas and to see how much the program has grown,” Ayton told Spears. “Can’t wait to play with my guys. It’s truly a special experience to compete with teammates – who are from where you’re from – with Bahamas on your chest.”
- Tim MacMahon of ESPN details how Breakaway Data — a startup focused on the biomechanics of shooting — has partnered with Overtime Elite and Las Vegas Summer League to provide detailed breakdowns of each player’s shot. “I thought it was very informative,” Overtime Elite product Amen Thompson, drafted fourth overall by the Rockets, told ESPN. “Not everything works for everybody, but that [data] can’t really be a bad thing. It can only help to get as much information as possible. I felt like that’s what it gave us.”
- Which players have inked the most lucrative contracts in NBA history? Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype provides the list. Jaylen Brown‘s new super-max extension with the Celtics is the current largest deal ever, Gozlan notes.
I’m going to be pretty succinct here and say this: “ESPN SUCKS.” They have broken up many NBA fans’ favorite NBA broadcast team. (Not everybody, but many fans.)
This is right up there with ESPN screwing Bill Simmons over. Won’t be long until they get rid of Zach Lowe, too.
Breen is still the main guy and he’s terrific. If Doc Rivers’ voice has recovered somewhat from his years as a head coach and is listenable (if gravelly), he’s very good. (Man, you talk about vocal abuse.. whew!) I liked him and Kevin Harlan back when they worked together for TNT. Doris Burke is overdue for an opportunity like this. They will be a good team, and I look forward to hearing them.
Farewell, Breen/Van Gundy/Jackson. We had it good for a long time with those guys.
Breen was the only decent member…
The other 2 were just whinging about stuff they didn’t like and going off into tangents that had nothing to do with the game…
Good riddance…
I’m conflicted. Finally dont ever have to hear Mark Jackson ever again, but now stuck with doc Rivers? Its rough. I’m going to still have to give this a win though. B/c I personally think Mark Jackson is, by significantly far, the worst commentator of all time. It’s hard to believe how good/long he played, even though I watched it happen
Doc is a significant upgrade…
But does he have a voice left for TV?
Ya I remember back then he was off and on, but the voice thing is also part of what I was referring to…also with how bad of a coach he is, and how he doesnt even know players on his own team, how will he do moving forward, back in that spot, where it’s kind of important to know those things
I hate to admit it but Doc Rivers is really good on TV. He did a year in the early 2000s with ABC. He’s a massive upgrade from what Mark Jackson did.
This is epic news…
The worst commentary team in sports is gone…
Mark Jackson was the most boring commentator to listen to… Ruined a lot of games with his lack of care for what was actually happening on the floor…
And when he did pay attention he just repeated the same garbage quotes…
ESPN is so much more watchable now…
Hand down, man down. C’mon, that’s gold!
Jeff Van Gundy is below average, Mark Jackson is average, and Doris Burke is a little bit above average. Just my opinion. Mike Breen is pretty good. They’re keeping the two best announcers. Give the new team a chance everybody. Letting Van Gundy go is a big improvement for me. Have a happy day!
Van Gundy is far and away a better broadcaster than Jackson. Jackson might tbe the worst commentator in all of sports. Letting him go is the true win for fans, not letting JVG go (although JVG definitely falls in the average group)
I will miss Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. They had real chemistry together. Always appreciated Mark Jackson’s honesty. I am also a fan of Doris Burke. Would like to see more Reggie Miller as well.
I quit watching the Shaq and Barkley clown show years ago. Doc Rivers at time had a hard time explaining what his own team was doing during interviews. Now we gotta listen to this guy try and break down other teams? Hate to say that about Doc, but the guy has lived a charmed basketball life. At one time, folks in Chicago thought Doc Rivers was gonna be the next Isiah Thomas. Doc had a pretty good playing career, but not in the same league as Isiah.
I always felt that Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, Doris Burke and Reggie Miller were always watching games, even when they were not on the broadcast team. The game is what they love to do. Shaq and Barkley only watch highlights.
ESPN is hopeless. From the standpoint of any real basketball fan at least. They giveth with one hand, by getting rid of shills JVG and Jackson. Then taketh with the other, by promoting uber-shill Burke and hiring the insufferable Doc Rivers. Rivers might provide some variety in that he’s likely talk about his own greatness vs that of the players. But it’s disappointing that the ESPN games will again be completely free of basketball game analysis.
It’s still a MASSIVE upgrade…
You could put 2 cardboard boxes in front of the mics and it’d still be an upgrade…
LOL. Two cardboard boxes yes, but NOT Burke and Rivers. At least not to anyone that would like some analysis of the game at hand. Or silence.
Then don’t watch lmao
I’m sure crying about it on social media is going to do something about it.
actual cardboard boxes, or those life size cutouts?
Either…
Even a life sized cut out of MC Hammer would be better…
that would be too legit, Scarlett
Makes sense, Van Gundy and Jackson were good together but not solo.
Unfortunately we’ll probably get some younger people who will just giggle and laugh at dumb jokes
It makes sense because they were terrible to listen to together or apart…
Spent more time whinging about things and talking about useless stuff then paying attention to the game…
if you hate dumb jokes so much you shouldn’t bother re-reading your own posts
Well… Mama, I guess there goes that man.
Worst sports line… Ever…
I don’t like Doris Burke commentary, can’t believe they promoted her. There are better options out there but I guess they did it just because she’s a woman?
I have zero problem with promoting women but she’s is just not skilled enough in my opinion.
You would be correct
“I have zero problem, but i have a problem”
Two of the least appropriate voices for announcing: Doc “Chronic Laryngitis” Rivers, and Doris “Hall Monitor” Burke.
They got them some “Certified Geniuses” over at Disney…
Doc is definitely hard to listen to…
But at least Doris doesn’t have that generic news presenter voice that so many courtside reporters do…
It’s so disingenuous…
EG for the Bahamas is a little shocking
Hood Mark moves back into coaching, would love to see him back in the league
If you didn’t think that doris burke Lebron side piece wasn’t getting promoted to the top team. You’re very naive.