• Loading stock data...
Thursday, January 9, 2025

J.J. Redick Emerges as Front-Runner for ESPN’s Top NBA Game Broadcast Team

  • Ex-Duke star only joined ESPN two seasons ago.
  • Doris Burke could make history by calling NBA Finals on TV.
J.J. Redick
Photo by Gabriella Ricciardi / ESPN Images.

J.J. Redick has zoomed to the top of the contenders’ list to join ESPN’s top NBA game broadcast team, sources tell Front Office Sports.

Redick, fellow ESPN analyst Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson, and four-time NBA head coach Doc Rivers are all in play to possibly succeed the laid-off Jeff Van Gundy, said sources. 

They would join the returning No. 1 game team of analyst Mark Jackson and play-by-play announcer Mike Breen.

Front Office Sports previously pegged Redick as a contender for the job. Columnist Chad Finn of the Boston Globe speculated the new booth could be Rivers, Burke and Breen.

The question for ESPN is whether it wants to continue a three-person broadcast booth for its top NBA games. That’s unusual in today’s sports media climate.

Or install a two-person booth along the lines of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” duo of Troy Aikman and Joe Buck?

If Redick gets the top analyst, it will mark a meteoric rise at ESPN for the 39-year-old sharphshooter.

The all-time leading scorer at Duke University only joined ESPN during the 2021-2022 season after a 15-year career in the NBA.

But the smart, savvy Redick has shown his willingness to give big opinions while throwing elbows on-air with ESPN stars Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins. He’s worked game and studio NBA analysis for ESPN, while co-starring on shows such as Smith’s “First Take.”

Kendrick Perkins could moving up to primetime at ESPN.

ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins Could Be Promoted to ‘NBA Countdown’

The NBA champion could replace Jalen Rose.
July 5, 2023

Then again, the talented Burke has earned her shot at the No 1 NBA announce team.  She’s called the NBA Finals on the radio for ESPN since 2020. 

With ESPN poised to enter bruising billion-dollar negotiations to retain its NBA media rights, Burke would help the network make history by becoming the first woman to call the NBA Finals on a television broadcast.

Rivers and Al Michaels called the 2004 NBA Finals for Walt Disney’s Co.’s ABC. But the longtime NBA coach returned to the bench the following year, eventually leading the Boston Celtics to the 2008 NBA Championship. He was fired by the Philadelphia 76ers in May following their Eastern Conference Semifinals playoff loss to the Celtics.

This week, Rivers said he was still determining his coaching future. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do,” he told TMZ. “I’m just gonna enjoy life.” 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 12, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard LiAngelo Ball before a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.

LiAngelo Ball Never Reached the NBA. His Song Has Taken It by..

“Tweaker” is No. 8 on Spotify’s U.S. Top 50 songs playlist.

2024 NFL TV Ratings Fall 2%, Still Dominate TV Landscape

Regular-season ratings decline by 2.2% after last year’s growth.

After Dramatic ESPN Exit, Norby Williamson Joins FanDuel Sports Network

The regional sports network operator reportedly turns to a former ESPN executive.

ESPN Programming Chief Takes Victory Lap Over Bowl Season Ratings

Non-CFP bowl games drew millions in viewers this year.

Featured Today

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates a first-down catch against Oregon during the 2025 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

The Biggest Changes to College Sports Are Coming in 2025

Sweeping developments could affect the college sports foundation this year.
Dec 31, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) walks out to the rink before the Winter Classic against the St. Louis Blues at Wrigley Field
January 1, 2025

Glitzy NHL New Year’s Eve Winter Classic Showcased Connor Bedard’s Star Power

The business of Bedard—on full display—is crucial for the NHL.
Pop-Tarts bowl tropfy
December 27, 2024

‘I Want to Play in That Game’: How the Pop-Tarts Bowl Went..

The bowl has players saying, “I want to play in that game.”
NHL Winter Classic 2024
December 26, 2024

NHL, TNT Pinning High Hopes on First New Year’s Eve Winter Classic

Can the dream setting of Wrigley Field lift flagging viewership?
Lions Vikings Jahmyr Gibbs

NFL TV Ratings: NBC Draws Huge Audience for Vikings-Lions Blowout

NBC Sports gets a strong result from the “Sunday Night Football” finale.
January 6, 2025

NFL Playoff Tradition: Texans Draw Saturday-Afternoon Game Again

The AFC South champions will again begin the NFL’s wild-card weekend.
The New York Times disbands sports section.
January 6, 2025

Journalists at The Athletic Seek to Join New York Times Union

The Times is “reviewing” the request by The Athletic’s employees.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
FuboTV
January 6, 2025

Disney Buys Fubo, Killing Venu Lawsuit

The ESPN parent company will gain majority control of the rival streamer.
exclusive
January 5, 2025

Fox, Skip Bayless, Others Sued on 14 Counts Including Sexual Battery

The suit alleges Bayless offered a Fox hairstylist $1.5 million for sex.
January 3, 2025

The NFL Had 70 of Top 100 Live TV Events in 2024,..

The league again claims the vast majority of most-watched events.
Nov 17, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Jac Collinsworth (left), Tony Dungy (center) and Rodney Harrison on the Sunday Night Football set at SoFi Stadium.
January 2, 2025

NBC Elevates Vikings-Lions Finale to Playoff-Level Coverage

NBC Sports will bring its full “FNIA” crew to Detroit.