• Loading stock data...
Friday, September 12, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

The NBA Finals Create a Unique Dilemma for Top ESPN Analyst

  • JJ Redick and Doris Burke are ESPN’s new lead analysts.
  • The former NBA player has been linked to some coaching jobs.
JJ Redick
Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images

On the court, the NBA Finals are set to be a crowning achievement for one of the league’s two best players in Mavericks star Luka Dončić or Celtics frontman Jayson Tatum. But the series also represents a pinnacle for two people on the sideline: lead ESPN game analysts JJ Redick and Doris Burke. 

The duo are calling their first NBA championship series as No. 1 TV color commentators. Burke has been in ESPN’s top booth alongside play-by-play man Mike Breen all season, while Redick joined in February, getting the call-up from Bristol power brokers after Doc Rivers left to coach the Bucks. 

It’s the latest accomplishment for Redick, who has become one of the fastest-rising stars in sports media since retiring in 2021 after 15 seasons in the league. Redick makes regular appearances across ESPN’s studio shows and is the founder of ThreeFourTwo Productions, which has backed several athlete-hosted podcasts, including his own. The Old Man and the Three with Tommy Alter has been running since ’20, and this spring Redick launched Mind the Game with LeBron James.

So, given his success already, where does calling the NBA Finals rank? Front Office Sports asked Redick during a preview call for the series. “This is absolutely the apex of calling NBA games,” he said. “Once I started calling games, it was always the goal. It happened a little faster than I thought it would.”

Hello … Goodbye?

Now, the irony is that Redick himself has been linked to head coaching vacancies across the NBA. In April, he reportedly interviewed for the Hornets job. The team eventually hired former Celtics assistant Charles Lee. More recently, Redick has been widely linked to being a strong contender for the Lakers’ head coach opening. Even reporters from his own network, ESPN, have talked about the possibility. Redick hasn’t refuted any of the reports, but he wouldn’t comment on a potential future in coaching during ESPN’s NBA Finals call.

Like many retired athletes, Redick may miss the thrill of competition. But is fulfilling that urge worth giving up much of what he has accomplished off the court early into his post-playing career? “I am a fan of this sport,” he said. “And I think about watching Finals when I was growing up, watching Finals when I played, playing in the NBA Finals in 2009, and these are just, like, iconic moments, and I get to be a part of this. I get to be a part of documenting history.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

FanDuel, Jaguars Reach $5M Deal Over Employee Theft

A Jaguars employee stole $20 million and gambled much of it with FanDuel.
Sep 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) dribbles past Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun (13) in the second half at Target Center.

As WNBA Grows, Engelbert Says Its Playoff Field Won’t for a While

Eight of thirteen WNBA teams made the playoffs this year.
Sep 8, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) runs to first base during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

The $339 Million Mets Are in Jeopardy of Missing the Playoffs

The Mets’ wild-card lead is 1.5 games with 15 remaining in the regular season.
opinion

19 Rising Stars in Sports Media

Who are sports media’s rising stars? Here’s an inside look.

Featured Today

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
opinion
September 9, 2025

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) pursues Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.

College Football Enters Week 3 Up 21% in TV Ratings

Total college football viewership across all networks is up big.
September 5, 2025

NFL’s Expected Early-Season Ratings Boost Gets Off to a Stormy Start

The kickoff game somewhat resembles the delays last year in an SNF game.
Sep 6, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; General view of a Fox Sports camera station before the game between the Delaware Fightin Blue Hens against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field.
September 11, 2025

Lachlan Murdoch on Fox’s Sports Strategy, FanDuel Plans

The executive calls a forthcoming streaming bundle with ESPN “essential” for fans.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 4, 2025

TNT Sports to Try Its Own Streaming App After WBD Split

TNT Sports will have its own app as a corporate split approaches.
Eagles
September 4, 2025

The Death of Streameast Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

Mirror sites began popping up Thursday, the day the NFL season begins.
September 4, 2025

3 ABC Games Top 10M Viewers Each in ESPN’s Record CFB Weekend

Miami–Notre Dame led the way with 10.8 million viewers.
September 4, 2025

Bill Belichick’s UNC Debut Draws More Than 6M Viewers on ESPN

TCU-UNC was the fifth-most-watched college football game of Week 1.