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The NBA Finals came to a close Sunday with a big win for one of the smallest of small-market teams in the league: the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Make no mistake, though the market may be small the team led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was mighty. Gilgeous-Alexander, the league Mvp, was named the Finals Mvp after the Thunder’s 103-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers in the deciding Game 7.

The Pacers, who had taken a 2-1 lead in the series and then had to force a Game 7 with a Game 6 win, lost Tyrese Haliburton early Sunday with an Achilles injury; the superstar guard was already playing through a calf strain he suffered during Game 5. Haliburton did not return, and the Thunder controlled most of the rest of the game.

Tyrese Haliburton went down with an injury in Game 7. pic.twitter.com/AZ1uk65dFg

— ESPN (@espn) June 23, 2025

The Thunder came into the...

The King has recognized The Queen.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James acknowleged a historic broadcasting moment ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Doris Burke, the longtime ESPN broadcaster, became the first woman to serve as a TV analyst for a championship final in one of the four major professional sports. Burke was working tonight’s Game 1 of the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.

James noted the milestone just before the game started.

“Important moment for our sport tonight. Love and respect to Db and everything she does to elevate all of us!” James wrote, then added a Goat emoji, denoting the Greatest of All Time.

“My focus is in preparing for the games in front of me. … But I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I am sort of mindful that there is something meaningful here, right,” Burke said. “And the meaning for me would be if,...

The 2024 NBA Finals are set. It will be the Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks for basketball supremacy when Game 1 tips off on Thursday, June 6 at 8:30 p.m. Et. To get here, the No. 1 seeded Celtics swept the No. 6 Indiana Pacers in four games, while the Mavs took down the higher-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, winning that series four games to one. Can Luka Dončić lead the finals in scoring and bring home the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy? Or will Jayson Tatum sort out his shot and secure the Celtics a league-leading 18th NBA Championship? Find out when things get underway. You can watch every game of the 2024 NBA Finals exclusively on ABC with a three-day free trial and subscription to Hulu + Live TV.

How to Watch The 2024 NBA Finals When: Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 8:30 p.m. Et TV: ABC Stream: Watch with a three-day free trial and subscription to Hulu + Live TV.

ESPN wants to cash in on the big audiences expected to tune into the NBA Finals, which kick off Thursday evening on ABC. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has a role to play.

The rapper, actor and entrepreneur will surface at various times during coverage, largely in pre-taped segments that appear during the “NBA Countdown” pregame show, but also within some game telecasts. He will do voice-over essays about the NBA Finals and appear on screen.

Viewers will see Jackson delivering his lines directly to the camera, with the NBA’s Larry O’Brien championship trophy in full view. The promotional vignettes will show him surrounded by imagery of NBA teams and elements meant to embody power — a nod to the Starz series of crime dramas he helped create. ESPN will use a rendition of his song “Many Men” — performed by the late Pop Smoke — called “Got It On Me” as backing music.

The Larry O’Brien Trophy is on the line as the NBA Finals tip off Thursday, June 6. The Boston Celtics swept the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference final to advance to the best-of-seven-game NBA Finals for the second time in three years and the 23rd time in franchise history. The Celtics would surpass the Los Angeles Lakers for the most NBA championships with 18 if they can win four games over Dallas. This is the third NBA Finals appearance for the Mavericks, who lost in 2006 and won in 2011. The Celtics won both regular-season meetings vs. the Mavericks in 2023-24. A champion will be crowned… The #NBAFinals schedule pic.twitter.com/lO5wxsAgWl — NBA Communications (@Nbapr) May 31, 2024 Doris Burke makes history by becoming the first woman to serve as a TV game analyst for any major men’s professional championship. Mike Breen calls his 19th consecutive NBA Finals. They are joined...

Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are taking their show to the NBA.

The two WNBA stalwarts will host their first NBA game together on ESPN, bringing back a programming concept that has proven popular during the network’s coverage of the NCAA women’s final four tournament. “The Bird & Taurasi Show,” seen six times over the course of 2022 and 2023, has gained notice for the duo’s rapport and rogue energy. The program will be produced in conjunction with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, which is the backer of the so-called “Manning-cast” that airs alongside ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”

The pair will call a noon game on Christmas between the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks and can be seen on ESPN2 and ESPN+. Scheduled guests include Jason Sudeikis, Tyrese Haliburton and Breanna Stewart.

So-called “alterna-casts” have become all the rage among sports broadcasters, with ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports...

Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets hold their first NBA championship banner ceremony before they get down to business vs. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the season opener Tuesday, October 25, on TNT. The second game of the doubleheader has Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns visiting Steph Curry, Chris Paul and the Golden State Warriors. ESPN’s NBA coverage opens Wednesday, October 26, with the Boston Celtics in New York to clash with the Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks dueling with the Spurs in San Antonio. ESPN/ABC has a new lead broadcast team with Doris Burke and Doc Rivers joining Mike Breen this season. For many casual NBA observers, the season doesn’t start until football season winds down and the league has its Christmas Day extravaganza. The league hopes to change that with the In-Season Tournament and the quest for the NBA Cup beginning this year.

The roller coaster of ESPN staffing news continued today, as NFL analyst Mina Kimes is set for what’s reported to be a massive new deal. The agreement is worth more than $1.7 million, according to the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand, and puts Kimes over seven figures for the first time.

“Kimes’ role with ESPN will basically stay the same,” reported Marchand. She will be featured on NFL Live and make other appearances on the network’s shows.

Additionally, Dan Le Batard announced this morning that Kimes had signed a new deal with former ESPN boss John Skipper’s Meadowlark Media. She will continue to appear on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.”

Kimes will also reportedly continue her podcast, which is produced by Omaha Productions as part of the Peyton Manning-led company’s partnership with ESPN.

The announcements come one day after longtime football analyst Chris Mortensen announced his retirement,...

The 2023-24 NBA schedule will begin Tuesday, October 24, as LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers visit the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

It’s an interesting year for the NBA, as it marks the first time an in-season tournament will spice up the early schedule. Modeled after similar tournaments in European soccer, the NBA Cup begins on November 3, when the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo host the New York Knicks and Jalen Brunson.

The NBA Cup offers players on the winning team $500,000 each.

Another opening-week highlight will be the highly-anticipated regular season debut of San Antonio Spurs rookie and No. 1 draft choice Victor Wembanyama, who will play the Dallas Mavericks on October 25.

Christmas Day will have five games on tap including the Milwaukee Bucks at the New York Knicks, followed by Golden State at Denver, and the Boston Celtics at the Lakers. The Philadelphia 76ers are at the Miami Heat,...

SportsCenter co-anchor Sage Steele is exiting ESPN after settling a lawsuit she had brought against the network and its owner, The Walt Disney Company.

“Life update. Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment rights more freely,” Steele wrote in a post to X (fka Twitter) on Tuesday. “I am grateful for so many wonderful experiences over the past 16 years and am excited for my next chapter!”

More from TVLineESPN Adds Doc Rivers and Doris Burke to Top NBA Broadcast Team, Replacing Mark Jackson and Jeff Van GundyNBA...

In an era when much of sports broadcasting is dominated by hot takes, ESPN has decided to go with a class on-air announcing team for its NBA broadcast coverage.

The network said Monday that ever-steady play-by-play guy Mike Breen will be joined by Doris Burke and Doc Rivers on the broadcaster’s A-team for big games. The trio, along with reporter Lisa Salters, will call the NBA Finals, Eastern Conference Finals, NBA playoffs, and the Christmas Day and NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC series. The team will make its debut during ESPN’s opening week of NBA coverage in October.

As part of the changes, ESPN announced it has reached a multi-year deal with Rivers as well as a multi-year extension with Burke.

The arrangement will make the incomparable Burke the first woman to serve as a television analyst for a major men’s championship in the U.S.

She...

ESPN has drafted two new additions to its top NBA broadcast team: Doc Rivers and Doris Burke will join Mike Breen in the booth for the network’s biggest games, including the NBA Finals on ABC, it was announced on Monday.

Rivers and Burke will step in for Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy, who called NBA games for ESPN alongside Breen for years before exiting the network earlier this year in a highly publicized series of layoffs that claimed more than a dozen ESPN on-air personalities.

More from TVLineSportsCenter Anchor Sage Steele Exiting ESPN After Settling LawsuitNBA Announcer Mark...

Following rumors of the announcement, ESPN confirmed that Doris Burke and Doc Rivers will join Mike Breen as ABC‘s top NBA broadcasting team for the upcoming season. Burke will become the first woman to serve as a television color analyst for the NBA Finals. She previously served as the analyst for ESPN’s number 2 broadcasting team alongside Mark Jones. Rivers, who was an analyst for ABC during the 2003-04 season, has coached in the NBA for 24 seasons, winning a championship with the Celtics in 2008. He spent the last three years with the Sixers before getting fired in May. As a result, there will be more changes to several broadcasting teams, according to the network. Former Warriors general manager Bob Myers will join the network as a studio and game analyst. He will be a part of ABC’s versions of NBA Countdown, which will also see Malika Andrews with Stephen A. Smith,...

Mark Jackson is the latest big name to say goodbye to ESPN.

The NBA announcer confirmed reports that he’s leaving the sports cable network with a lengthy Instagram post on Monday, revealing that “this morning, unexpectedly, I was informed that my services were no longer needed at ESPN.” Jackson admitted he was “shocked and dismayed” at the news, but thanked ESPN and its staff “for allowing me to be a part of the organization for the past 15+ years.”

More from TVLineESPN Commentator Shaka Hislop Collapses During Live BroadcastESPN's Stephen A. Smith Hints at More Layoffs: 'I Could Be Next'espn Cutting 17 On-Air Personalities: Keyshawn Johnson,...

“Mama, there goes that man!”

That signature tagline will no longer be heard on ESPN’s NBA broadcasts as longtime announcer Mark Jackson joins the ranks of on air talent laid off of late by the network. Almost exactly a month ago, Jackson’s broadcast partner (and former coach) Jeff Van Gundy was among the 20-odd boldfaced names let go by the network. Since then, speculation has abounded about Jackson’s fate. The move came as a surprise to Jackson, however.

“This morning, unexpectedly, I was informed that my services were no longer needed at ESPN,” Jackson wrote on social media this evening. “Although shocked and dismayed with the suddenness of it all, I would like to thank ESPN and all the staff of the NBA ESPN crew for allowing me to be a part of the organization for the past 15+ years.”

Jackson confirmed his departure with Peter Vecsey earlier today.

On Tuesday, December 6, Sandy Hook Promise (Shp) hosted a benefit evening at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City to commemorate the 10-year remembrance of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.

Matthew McConaughey speaks at the Sandy Hook Promise 10-Year Remembrance benefit event

Credit/Copyright: Ann Billingsley

More than 450 supporters, advocates, and business leaders joined the event to honor the lives taken that tragic day – and celebrate the lifesaving impact of Sandy Hook Promise’s Know the Signs programs.

Barack Obama delivered an emotional and stirring speech as he reflected on the decade since the tragedy, underscoring the lives saved since and the work left to be done to protect children from gun violence in the US.

President Barack Obama delivers keynote speech at Sandy Hook Promise's 10-Year Remembrance benefit event

Credit/Copyright: Ann Billingsley

“When we were together back in 2012, I said that Newtown would be remembered for the...

Chiney Ogwumike has big plans after striking a new deal with ESPN that extends her stay there and is certain to expand her presence.

The 6′ 4″ Los Angeles Sparks forward is gearing up to start calling NBA games for ESPN, adding to her regular presence on “NBA Today” and “NBA Countdown.” She has many other duties, including a thriving career in the WNBA, where she was the first overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft from Stanford University, and the 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year and a two-time WNBA All-Star. She is also the vice president of the WNBA Players Association.

“We don’t have many women analysts outside of Doris Burke calling NBA games on linear TV,” says Ogwumike, in an interview, adding: “That’s the next challenge for me. I’ve called women’s basketball games. I know how to call a basketball game, but I like to make sure...

Kirk Herbstreit revealed via Twitter on Tuesday that he has tested positive for Covid-19. As a result, the ESPN analyst will be working from home on New Year’s Day, taking part in the network’s College GameDay and the its telecast of Sugar Bowl between No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Ohio State.

This is the second time Herbstreit has had to work remotely during the pandemic; he also provided commentary from home in Week 4 after coming into contact with an infected individual. The pandemic also impacted Herbstreit’s assignments. For the first time in years, he is not calling the Rose Bowl, which was relocated to from Pasadena, California to Arlington, Texas because of California’s Covid-19 restrictions.

Other ESPN personalities who have tested positive for Covid-19 includes Scott Van Pelt, Matthew Berry, Dan Dakich, Doris Burke and Todd McShay.

pic.twitter.com/Q6JG3nz4BL

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit...

NBC Sports has turned to digital and social venues to rouse sports fans who can’t get their fix.

The NBCUniversal-owned unit has been trying to galvanize fans with the hashtag #onehometeam, under which it distributes everything from a scavenger hunt to an invitation for fitness videos to people who might follow events associated with NBC Sports, such as hockey, football or the Olympics.

“Sports Twitter is a place where people love to debate just about everything,” says Lyndsay Signor, vice president of consumer engagement for NBC Sports and Olympics, in an interview, “We will toss out a variety of topics and let the fans weight in.”

NBC Sports faces a similar conundrum to every other major sports-media outlet in the U.S. The nation boasts a legion of sports fans, but the coronavirus pandemic has scuttled nearly every live sport they follow – including the games in the NBC Sports portfolio,...

ESPN tennis announcer Patrick McEnroe said on social media Tuesday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.

He tweeted a video from his basement saying he “got some minor symptoms about 10 or 11 days ago,” and he just got his test results back this morning after going to a drive-through testing center in New York’s Westchester County.

Update… pic.twitter.com/5P1diSt98D

— Patrick McEnroe (@PatrickMcEnroe) March 31, 2020

The news comes days after another of ESPN’s on-air personalities, NBA announcer Doris Burke, revealed that she is recovering from a bout with the disease.

McEnroe, a former pro player whose brother is tennis legend John McEnroe, serves as a match analyst for ESPN but also calls play-by-play and works as a studio host or analyst. He has been at the Worldwide Leader since 1995 and has worked a more extensive schedule since 1997. He previously worked at CBS Sports from 1996-2008.

A former Davis Cup captain,...

ESPN’s NBA analyst Doris Burke is on the rebound after being diagnosed with the coronavirus. In a new podcast interview, she talked about her symptoms, the testing process, her recovery and the importance of stopping the disease’s spread.

In today’s episode of The Woj Pod with her ESPN colleague Adrian Wojnarowski, Burke said she is symptom-free as being tested on St. Patrick’s Day and learning of the results Wednesday — eight days later. She first had felt symptomatic on March 11, the same day the NBA shut down its season after a player tested positive for Covid-19.

She said of the agonizing wait: “I started to believe — even though my symptoms did not seem to line up with the typical symptoms — I believed, given the nature of my profession, the number of people I encounter, that I did in fact have exposure to the virus.”

Burke — a college...

When Jimmy Kimmel Live! returns to television on Monday (March 30) with remotely produced episodes, ABC’s late-night show will not reclaim its regular 11:35 time slot but instead will continue to air at 12:05 Am at least through next week.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! swapped slots with ABC News’s Nightline, which normally starts at 12:35 Am, on March 17, a day into the late-night talker’s production suspension. The scheduling move has worked well for both programs.

More from DeadlineWarnerMedia Commits $100 Million To Fund For Idled Production CrewsHBO Delays Production On 'Succession' & 'Barry' Amid Coronavirus Crisis, Writing May ContinueESPN Analyst Doris Burke Recovering After Coronavirus Diagnosis

With just four nights in the higher-trafficked 11:35 Pm slot, Nightline was the most watched (2.8 million viewers) and highest-rated in adults 18-49 (0.5 rating) late-night program for the week of March 16. Meanwhile, with a potent Nightline lead-in, Jimmy Kimmel Live! last week delivered its strongest hiatus...

Fox Business is parting ways with one of its primetime hosts, Trish Regan, after putting her show on hiatus as the coronavirus crisis escalated.

“Fox Business has parted ways with Trish Regan. We thank her for her contributions to the network over the years and wish her continued success in her future endeavors,” the network said. “We will continue our reduced live primetime schedule for the foreseeable future in an effort to allocate staff resources to continuous breaking news coverage on the Coronavirus crisis.”

More from DeadlineWarnerMedia Commits $100 Million To Fund For Idled Production CrewsHBO Postpones Production On 'Succession' & 'Barry' Amid Coronavirus Crisis, Writing May ContinueESPN Analyst Doris Burke Recovering After Coronavirus Diagnosis

Two weeks ago, the network put her show, Trish Regan Primetime, and another, Kennedy, on hiatus in what they said was due to the demands of evolving coronavirus coverage. Fox News and Fox Business had put in...

ESPN and ABC’s coverage of the 2019 NBA Conference Semifinals is up 19 percent from last season in metered market ratings, according to Nielsen. Through five games, ESPN and ABC are averaging a 3.8 metered market rating.

ESPN’s coverage of Friday’s quadruple overtime game, in which the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Denver Nuggets 140-37, generated a 3.0 metered market rating, up 11 percent from last year’s comparable game – Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz – that generated a 2.7 rating.

Friday’s Portland vs. Denver game telecast rating held strong at a 3.1 rating for all three quarter hours between 1:30 – 2:15 a.m. Et. The telecast averaged a 16.8 rating in the Portland market and an 8.1 rating in the Denver market. Dave Pasch, analyst Doris Burke and reporter Tom Rinaldi called the game.

Overall, Friday’s doubleheader was up seven percent in metered market ratings compared to last year, averaging a 3.2 rating. ESPN’s...

If you asked adolescent me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I'd probably say an astronaut, a Wnba player, or more reasonably, Doris Burke. Young girls set their sights on dreams that may be far out of reach, but for Meghan Markle, the "childhood fantasy" of wanting to become a princess actually came true. People recovered one of the now-Duchess of Sussex's old blog posts from 2014, where she wrote about her princess fantasies and even admired Kate Middleton.

"Little girls dream of being princesses. I, for one, was all about She-Ra, Princess of Power," Meghan wrote on her former blog, The Tig. "And grown women seem to retain this childhood fantasy. Just look at the pomp and circumstance surrounding the royal wedding and endless conversation about Princess Kate."

Related: Sorry, Harry and Will - Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle Are Our New Favorite Royal Duo

(For those who don't know,...