ESPN lays off Mark Jackson, reportedly plans to hire Doc Rivers, promote Doris Burke
ESPN's ongoing talent shake-up is expected to produce a dramatically revamped A team for its NBA broadcasts.
The network laid off longtime analyst Mark Jackson on Monday. According to the New York Post's Andrew Marchand, ESPN is planning to promote analyst Doris Burke to call NBA games alongside lead play-by-play man Mike Breen next season. It's also expected to hire Doc Rivers to complete the three-person team that anchors the network's NBA Finals coverage.
ESPN did not publicly address the news after it broke Monday afternoon. Contract discussions with Burke and Rivers are still pending but expected to be finalized, per the report.
Jackson confirmed the news on social media on Monday night.
— Mark Jackson (@MarkJackson13) August 1, 2023
"This morning, unexpectedly, I was informed that my services were no longer needed at ESPN," Jackson wrote, in part. "Although shocked and dismayed with the suddenness of it all, I would like to thank ESPN and all the staff of NBA ESPN crew for allowing me to be a part of the organization for the past 15+ years."
Rivers has spent the last 24 seasons as an NBA head coach, but remains without work after being fired by the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason. He would join Burke in replacing Jeff Van Gundy, who was laid off last month amid a wave of high-profile talent cuts at the network.
Jackson worked alongside Breen and Van Gundy for 15 seasons across two stints starting in 2006. The former NBA point guard spent five years with the network from 2006-11 after his retirement as a player. He left ESPN in 2011 to take over as head coach of the Golden State Warriors. He returned to the booth alongside Breen and Van Gundy after three seasons on the Golden State sideline.
The moves would mark a return for Rivers to the NBA Finals broadcast booth after a stint with ABC in 2004. Rivers called the Finals that year alongside Al Michaels after he was fired as the head coach of the Orlando Magic early that same season. His broadcast stint was brief, though. Rivers returned to NBA sidelines the following season as the head coach of the Boston Celtics, whom he coached to an NBA championship five seasons later.
The promotion of Burke would be a historic one. She's previously worked the NBA Finals as a sideline reporter and has long been a game analyst for ESPN, most recently alongside Mark Jones on the network's B team. If promoted, she would be the first woman to call NBA Finals games on network TV.
