As the 2025-2026 NBA season gets ready to kick off less than two months from now, ESPN has just now apparently made a major decision about its No. 1 broadcast team.
As first reported by The Athletic, popular NBA analyst Doris Burke has been demoted from ESPN’s No. 1 NBA broadcast team, which also includes play-by-play veteran Mike Breen and analyst Richard Jefferson.
In Burke’s place, The Athletic reports ESPN has tapped former NBA veteran Tim Legler to join Breen and Jefferson. The trio, along with sideline reporter Lisa Salters, has the distinction of covering the network’s high-profile games and events, including one of the slated Christmas Day games, NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC, the high-profile first- and second-round playoff games, as well as the Conference Finals and, of course, the NBA Finals.
It’s unclear why ESPN made the bold move.
Doris Burke is not going anywhere
Despite the demotion, ESPN on Thursday announced that Burke has signed a multi-year extension to remain at the network.
According to ESPN, the Hall of Fame broadcaster “will continue to call high-profile NBA games on ESPN and ABC, including the NBA Sunday Showcase series. Her assignments will include full slates of games throughout the regular season and the NBA Playoffs. Burke will regularly work alongside play-by-play voice Dave Pasch.”
Burke first started covering basketball at ESPN in 1991. She’s since covered 17 NBA Finals, including six as an analyst and 11 as a sideline reporter.
Burke, who served as ESPN’s lead analyst the last two seasons, made history in 2024 after becoming the first woman to be a broadcast analyst for a major U.S. men’s sports championship event.
Her knowledge of the game is so deep, NBA coaches and colleagues have wondered aloud about when she might consider coaching.
In fact, during the NBA Finals in June, Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle opened his press conference praising Burke for “changing the game.”
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle opened his pregame remarks with a lengthy support of ESPN’s Doris Burke, whom he says has “changed the game.” pic.twitter.com/5wUh7AyRbs
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) June 5, 2025
Who is Tim Legler?
Legler, 58, played in the NBA for 10 seasons, from 1989 to 2000. The La Salle star went undrafted in 1988 and played in the CBA before making his mark as a sharpshooter with the then-Washington Bullets for two seasons and two more seasons as a Wizard.
He also played for the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors.
Legler joined ESPN in 2000 as a game analyst on the network and on ESPN Radio. Largely regarded as one of the game’s brightest minds, Legler’s also frequently featured on SportsCenter.
