Doris Burke to Make Cool History by Calling 2024 NBA Finals

June 6, 2024 Jimm Sallivan

When the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks begin on Thursday night, ABC/ESPN’s Doris Burke will be making history of her own.

Burke, who was named to the lead NBA broadcasting crew for ABC/ESPN ahead of the 2023–24 season, is officially the first woman to call any major men’s championship in the United States in history.

The long-time reporter will join Mike Breen and J.J. Reddick courtside for the game as they’ve done throughout the entire NBA season.

Burke is set to work all of the NBA Finals games this season as ABC is the primary broadcaster for the games.

Tonight, Doris Burke is set to make history as the first woman to call any major U.S. men’s championship on TV. pic.twitter.com/jR7ujRJgq0

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 6, 2024

This isn’t the first time Burke’s name will be written in the history books. One of her other significant career moments came in 2017 when she was named a regular NBA game analyst for ESPN, making her the first woman to hold this position for a full season. She called the NBA Finals for ESPN Radio back in 2020, making her the first woman to do so.

2 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Stephen A. Smith Blasted by MLB Fans for Insulting Take on Mike Trout’s Injury

The Los Angeles Angels are without Mike Trout indefinitely due to a torn meniscus in his left knee. The star outfielder was near tears earlier this week while speaking to reporters about the injury, which will force him to miss a considerable amount of time.

While Trout was distraught about the news, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith seemed to make it all a big joke as he tore down the Angels outfielder for having to miss more time due to injury during Wednesday's episode of First Take.

“How the hell is he always hurt?," Smith yelled. "I don’t understand this. It drives me nuts when I see baseball players get hurt. What is it that you’re doing with yourself physically that you can’t stay healthy playing baseball? Now, you get hit by a pitch or something, that’s different, I get all of that. With these oblique injuries, you’re running around bases, catching one, then you’re running out for a fly ball, and all of a sudden, something gets tweaked. What the hell is going on?”

Here's Smith's full rant:

Stephen A. Smith isn't sure how baseball players like Mike Trout keep getting injured.
"What the hell are you doing to take care of yourself? Always injured. I mean, damn, it's baseball. What are we talking about here? It's not football. It's not boxing. It's not the UFC..." pic.twitter.com/MamhcLHQKH
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 1, 2024

MLB fans were rightfully not impressed with Smith's insulting take on Trout's injury:

This has to be one of the most stupid comments to come out of this man’s mouth . https://t.co/DK2mAXyUfw
— Jennifer G (@jenniferleeanng) May 2, 2024

This is so misinformed. Staggering actually. The grind of a baseball season is incredibly difficult on the body. https://t.co/BJ31EQDJjO
— David P. Samson (@DavidPSamson) May 1, 2024

I don't even play baseball and I know this is stupid. https://t.co/xotsY9yWgw
— Stik The Tall Guy (@stikaround54) May 2, 2024

Someone brought this to my attention. This is just dumb. This is "take" culture at its worst. Pretend you know things that you don't, get upset, get loud, never back down. Never learn. Never grow. Never change, ESPN https://t.co/Ek08fHUOOU
— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) May 1, 2024

This is the dumbest thing my eardrums have ever heard. It’s insipid. https://t.co/ZAFU2Jvkra
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) May 2, 2024

Stephen A. Smith talking about baseball is as cringeworthy as Christopher Russo talking about college football. National guys spread too thin who don’t know anything but a couple of sound bites. Zero depth. https://t.co/caJM7XRqGs
— Vaxwell Smart (@IdleIrishMinds) May 1, 2024

Hopefully Trout is able to return soon.

11 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Charles Barkley on ESPN’s Stanley Cup Broadcast Led to a Quick Joke About His Job

Charles Barkley made a guest appearance on ESPN's NHL analyst desk during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, joining the likes of Mark Messier, P.K. Subban and Steve Levy in between the first and second periods of Monday night's game.

While on the air, Levy didn't hesitate to broach the conversation of Barkley's future in broadcasting with TNT set to lose its NBA media rights deal.

Levy hinted at the potential for Barkley to make the leap over to ESPN, jokingly referring to him as the "newest member of ESPN's NBA coverage" while introducing the 61-year-old.

Steve Levy wasted no time trying to convince Charles Barkley to join ESPN's NBA coverage during his guest appearance on ABC's coverage of the Stanley Cup.
"Steve Levy, Mark Messier, P.K. Subban, and the newest member of ESPN's NBA coverage?"👀pic.twitter.com/WhLPgNFReT
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 11, 2024

"Welcome Mark Messier, P.K. Subban and the newest member of ESPN's NBA coverage? Maybe?" said Levy at the start of the segment.

Rather than immediately address his job, Barkley comically changed the topic and mentioned that Messier owes him $5,000 stemming from a delay of game penalty he took during his playing days.

After discussing Barkley's hockey fandom and his relationship with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, the crew circled back to the topic of Barkley's employment. The NBA Hall of Famer joked that he wished he had a job lined up and that he was back on LinkedIn.

With the NBA on TNT crew facing an uncertain future, the prospect of Barkley joining ESPN's NBA coverage isn't all too far fetched, and Levy wasted no time stirring the pot in that regard.

3 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Jontay Porter Scandal Could Spark Changes to NBA Player Props

If the over/under on the number of betting scandals it would take a professional sports league to reexamine its gambling ties was set at 1.5, the under would have hit.

Following the lifetime ban of Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter, the NBA is in discussions with sportsbook partners to figure out some changes that might prevent another scandal.

According to ESPN, the NBA is looking for ways to tweak betting menus including, "prohibiting betting on players on two-way contracts between the G League and the NBA," and "not allowing bets on the 'under' on a player prop."

However, there are concerns that limiting what consumers can gamble on might push them back into the arms of unregulated sportsbooks. For example, the kind of off-the-books bookie that took the action of Shohei Ohtani's translator, Ippei Mizuhara.

Legalized sports gambling has been spreading rapidly since the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act 2018. While 38 states (plus the District of Colombia) have legalized gambling, there are still plenty of states dragging their feet to get involved. Possibly because there are so many kinks to work out where it is legal.

In the meantime, leagues are desperate to find ways to keep something like the Porter situation from happening again because there's so much money at stake. Where once we were inundated with daily fantasy sports ads, we're now subject to nonstop legal gambling ads. Sportsbooks advertise everywhere and there's a huge push to make gambling more accessible everywhere. It's where all the money is right now, and it's new and exciting and everyone wants to be involved and no one wants to miss out.

Things like the Porter scandal put it all at risk. That's why leagues have to do whatever they can to make sure it doesn't happen again. Even if they know deep down it probably will.

US Sports News

Doris Burke to Make Cool History by Calling 2024 NBA Finals

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