ESPN taps Tim Legler for Finals with Breen and Jefferson, Burke exits

ESPN has removed Hall of Fame analyst Doris Burke from its No. 1 NBA broadcast team and promoted commentator Tim Legler into her role for future NBA Finals, The Athletic reported Thursday, citing people briefed on the decision. Legler is expected to join longtime play by play announcer Mike Breen and analyst Richard Jefferson for the network's top Finals broadcasts, a change that marks the end of Burke's two seasons on ESPN's lead booth.

According to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, the decision was driven internally by executive vice president Mike McQuade, who backed Legler, and was not blocked by senior management. Network officials did not respond to requests for comment. The move follows months of scrutiny over booth chemistry and audience reaction, and comes as ESPN continues to reconfigure its top broadcast lineup since the 2023 breakup of the Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson trio.

Burke, 60, has been with ESPN since 1991 and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. She broke new ground in recent years as one of the first women to serve as a lead analyst on a men's championship television broadcast for a major U.S. sports league and had worked...