Doris Burke made American professional sports history on Thursday night when she called Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. Burke became the first woman to serve as a TV analyst for any major men’s professional championship event.
Burke, a mainstay on ESPN basketball broadcasts over the years, has teamed up with the No. 1 announcing team for the network this season alongside play-by-play announcer Mike Breen and color analysts Doc Rivers, and later, JJ Redick.
Redick made sure to recognize Burke for her achievement during SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt.
“I do have a final word though, Scott,” Redick said before the segment with Van Pelt ended. “I do have one final word. I just want to say how proud I am of my teammate Doris Burke, who made history tonight calling this NBA Finals game. Look, I’m a newbie at this. I called my first tonight. It’s meaningless in the grand scheme of things. What she did tonight is historic. I am so proud of her. I love you. It’s so great working with you.”
“Don’t make me cry,” Burke replied. “You’re the best teammate, so thank you.”
JJ Redick shouts out Doris Burke on making history in the NBA Finals 🥹👏@jj_redick | @heydb pic.twitter.com/vpPa6IehVt
The duo has plenty of chemistry with Breen on the air, and they’ll have a chance to continue to showcase what they can do throughout the rest of the NBA Finals.
Game 2 is set for Sunday night in Boston. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
MIKE MCDANIEL
Mike McDaniel is a writer on the Breaking & Trending News Team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided, and more. Mike hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of his professional life, he is a husband, father, and an avid golfer.
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