Doris Burke is an absolute legend in the world of basketball, and she’s been a trailblazer for women in broadcasting. She first started at ESPN in 1991, began calling men’s basketball in 2000 for the Knicks and MSG, called men’s college basketball games at ESPN in 2003, and became the top NBA sideline reporter in 2009. She was elevated to game analyst in 2017 and, after spending years plying her craft, was elevated to the lead broadcast booth alongside Mike Breen and Doc Rivers (now JJ Redick) going into this season.
That meant Burke would be on the call for the NBA Finals, becoming the first woman to do so on TV in the 76-year history of the NBA. On Thursday night, that momentous occasion arrived and, while Burke tried to shun the spotlight, plenty made sure to give her her flowers. Among them was LeBron James, who shouted out the legend on Twitter for what she does to elevate the NBA and for being “a GOAT.”
Important moment for our sport tonight. Love and respect to DB and everything she does to elevate all of us! You’re a 🐐! 🙏🏾🤎🫡 https://t.co/eckUkkP2Bk
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 7, 2024
Beyond James, many of the women who have followed her lead paid tribute to Burke for blazing a path into the world of broadcasting, as ESPN now has a number of women that call games for the network and nine teams have women as part of their local TV game broadcast booth. Awful Announcing’s Brendon Kleen interviewed many members of the “Doris Burke generation” in a terrific piece on how big her impact has been on the world of basketball broadcasting and the women that have joined it.
