Doris Burke Will Be The First Woman To Serve As Game Analyst During The 2019-20 NBA Finals

Legendary ESPN analyst Doris Burke will serve as will serve as a game analyst during this year’s NBA Conference Finals and Finals on ESPN Radio, becoming the first woman to serve as a game analyst for the NBA Finals on any platform, ESPN PR announced Wednesday. Burke will provide radio commentary alongside play-by-play voice Marc Kestecher and analyst Jon Barry for the NBA Finals and both Conference Finals series on site in the NBA Bubble.

The Hall of Fame broadcaster is one of the most knowledgeable voices in the sport, having spent nearly three decades covering the NBA, the WNBA, and women’s and men’s college basketball for ESPN. Burke has broken barriers in the sports broadcasting world many times in her illustrious career, becoming the first woman to serve as a full-time NBA television game analyst on ESPN and ABC in 2017 – a role she continues to hold. She typically shifts her role to sideline reporter during the conference finals and NBA Finals broadcasts, but this year will join the radio crew to bring her expert analysis to the radio booth.

In her place, Rachel Nichols will take over sideline reporting duty for the Finals and Eastern Conference Finals, as she returns to the Bubble after some time back in Los Angeles. Nichols noted on Wednesday that getting to be there to help hand out the Larry O’Brien trophy will be a “dream come true.”

Nichols will continue to host The Jump from Orlando throughout the playoffs as well, while NBA Countdown will serve as the pregame and halftime show on ABC for the NBA Finals, including new addition Stephen A. Smith alongside Maria Taylor, Jay Williams, Jalen Rose, Paul Pierce, and Adrian Wojnarowski.