Doris Burke is breaking new ground once again. The veteran ESPN broadcaster is set to become the first woman with a full-time NBA analyst job at the national level, according to a report by SI’s Richard Deitsch. Burke replaces Doug Collins as a regular color commentator with the network.
Doris Burke is now first woman to become a full-time national NBA game analyst
The veteran broadcaster is replacing Doug Collins as a full-time color commentator with ESPN.
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
Burke has been doing select games as a color commentator over the past year, in addition to acting as a sideline reporter. She will continue to serve as the network’s sideline reporter during the conference finals and NBA Finals.
Burke is a pro in front of the camera — and a promotion to full-time analyst is long overdue. She has shown an impressive amount of poise and knowledge during every step of her career, whether it’s her occasionally hostile sideline reporting with Gregg Popovich or her work on ESPN’s pre- and post-game NBA shows.
We also know she has a killer crossover:
Burke has spent a lifetime around the game
Burke played college ball for the Providence Friars, where she became the program’s all-time leader in assists. She began her broadcasting career in 1990 and got to ESPN in 1997 as a lead analyst for the network’s WNBA coverage.
Burke has since grown into a staple on ESPN’s NBA team. She’s been a member of “NBA Countdown” alongside former pros like Jalen Rose and showcased the depth of her knowledge in spot duty as a color commentator last year.
Burke’s promotion is the latest and most prominent in a recent trend of women earning NBA analyst jobs. Stephanie Ready became the first full-time female analyst for the Charlotte Hornets in 2015. Sarah Kustok will also serve as the Nets’ full-time color commentator this season.
See More:
