ESPN’s decision to break up their very popular NBA announce team of Mike Breen, Mack Jaackon, and Jeff Van Gundy, by unceremoniously releasing Jackson and Van Gundy came out of nowhere and mystified and confounded basketball fans.
Initially, Doris Burke and JJ Redick were brought as replacements. When Redick became the Los Angeles Lakers head coach, Richard Jefferson was brought in as the third person in the booth. Whether it was Breen, Burke, and Redick or Breen, Burke, and Jefferson the reception of fans to this hastily cobbled together announce triumvirate has been lukewarm at best, with many fans opting to watch games with the sounds muted.
It seems that ESPN may have realized their folly in the decision to take a wrecking ball to what was a great announce team and potentially looking to pivot in another direction.
According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, the network does intend to re-sign Richard Jefferson, but Burke’s future is may be a bit more tenuous. Marchand says ESPN could look to replace Doris Burke for the upcoming season. “Burke’s spot is not guaranteed for next season, according to sources, familiar with ESPN’s preliminary plans. While Breen, the Basketball Hall of Famer, under a long-term deal, is not going anywhere, ESPN will evaluate its entire roster.”
ESPN fixed something that was not broken with their NBA announcing team and it is basketball fans who may suffer because of their poor decisions.
