Sports analyst Doris Burke stays with ESPN after sudden demotion from NBA Finals broadcast team

Doris Burke has been demoted by ESPN in a sudden move that was allegedly called for by Executive Vice President Mike McQuade. She will no longer be with the ESPN No. 1 team, but will work with Dave Pasch on the No.

2 team instead. This sudden change has come as a surprise to many, as Burke had been working in the role since 2023. So the sudden change, to bring in Tim Legler, has caught the eye of many in the world of sports.

Doris Burke stays with ESPN despite sudden demotion

Doris Burke gained a lot of recognition when she started in the role of an analyst for the NBA Finals back in 2023. She continued in that role alongside long-time play-by-play announcer Mike Breen and former NBA star Richard Jefferson until the 2025 finals.

But as recent reports emerged, it seems like her time with the ESPN No. 1 has come to an end.

But she is not going to leave ESPN, at least not yet. Instead, she will be working in a similar capacity on a “regular” basis alongside Dave Pasch on the No. 2 team. Back in June, a report from The Athletic, which was the first to report on this sudden demotion, had previously revealed that Burke’s position on the ESPN team was in jeopardy.

Now, two months since then, it seems to have come true. But she has decided to stay with the company, even if it’s in a demoted capacity, having signed a multi-year contract extension.

Doris Burke made history with ESPN’s No. 1 NBA commentary team

Doris Burke made history in the world of sports as the first woman to serve as a game analyst during a championship finals in 2023, when she joined ESPN’s No. 1 NBA commentary team. Working in one of the four major North American professional men's sports leagues - the National Basketball League aka NBA - Burke became the top woman in the sports analyst field.

From beginning her career in radio to working her way through the grassroots level in ESPN to becoming the top female analyst in the NBA, Burke showed that with grit and determination, one can achieve anything. And though this demotion has surprised many, her staying on with the team at ESPN shows that she knows how to hold her place, even amid some turbulence.Also Read: Dwyane Wade gives a “shoutout to Michael Beasley" - Not in NBA anymore, but still taking the basketball by storm