US Sports News

Who Are the Announcers for the 2024 NBA Finals?

The 2024 NBA Finals begins on June 6th and will be broadcast by ESPN on ABC. ESPN has a whole new broadcast team lined up to call this year's Finals after going with a familiar team for the last decade. To make things more complicated, they had to adjust their plans midseason thanks to a high profile coaching move by a title contender.

So with all the musical chairs in the broadcast booth over the last year, who will be on the call for this year's Finals?

Mike Breen took over as play-by-play announcer for ABC in 2006 and has called the last 18 NBA Finals. His partners for many of those years were Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy. The exception was Hubie Brown, the color commentator for Breen's first Finals.

With Jackson and Van Gundy leaving ESPN last summer, Doris Burke was promoted to the lead broadcast team. Burke has been working for the network since 1991 and began working the sidelines on NBA broadcasts during the 2003-2004 season. She's been the sideline reporter for the NBA Finals since 2009.

Breen and Burke were supposed to be joined by Doc Rivers, who joined the booth ahead of the 2023-'24 season. But he was named the new head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks back in January. The Bucks posted a worse record under Rivers than they did under previous head coach Adrian Griffin and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

In Rivers' place will be JJ Redick a retired player and current podcaster who is one of the brightest basketball minds in the media. Redick has been with ESPN since 2021 and was added to the lead broadcast team in February.

Lisa Salters will return for her third year as the sideline reporter, a position previously held by Burke. Salters originally worked the 2006 NBA Finals as sideline reporter when Tafoya was on maternity leave.

During the 2023 NBA Finals ESPN celebrated Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen calling their 15th Finals together. A short time later both Jackson and Van Gundy learned their contracts would not be renewed, possibly because ESPN was so excited to hire Doc Rivers and give him the job he had previously walked away from back in 2004. Rivers then did the exact same thing, except in the middle of the season.

Van Gunddy had called every NBA Finals on ABC / ESPN since 2007 with Jackson being the third man in the booth every year where he wasn't coach of the Golden State Warriors.

ESPN and ABC have been broadcasting the NBA Finals since 2003 after wrestling the rights from NBC. Back in '03 Brad Nessler called the Finals with Bill Walton and Tom Tolbert. Michele Tafoya and Stuart Scott were the sieline reporters with Mike Tirico acting as studio host.

Doc Rivers actually called the NBA Finals alongside Al Michaels for ABC in 2004 before he bolted for the Boston Celtics' head coaching job. He was replaced by Hubie Brown with Mike Breen taking over for Michaels in 2006. That same year saw Salters and Scott working the sidelines with Dan Patrick hosting a studio show that consisted of Mike Wilbon and Mark Jackson.

As you can see, fashion and the NBA Finals broadcast team is never finished. After 15 years of Breen, Jackson and JVG, ABC and ESPN clearly thought it was time to innovate. With Burke and Redick on the call, fans are in for a whole new broadcast.

30 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Charles Barkley Shared Great Story About Tom Brady Giving Him a $250K Watch

TNT basketball broadcaster Charles Barkley joined Sports Illustrated's Jimmy Traina on the SI Media podcast this week to discuss a host of topics, including an incredible story between the exchange of a watch between Barkley and future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady.

"[Brady] and Wayne Gretzky are the two nicest GOATs [Greatest of All-Time] I've ever been around," Barkley began. "As a matter of fact, see this watch here? I've been offered $250,000 for this watch," Barkley told Traina.

"So I'm broadcasting one of the [TNT golf matches for charity], probably four or five years ago, I make a nice comment about this watch and this watch is a pretty penny. I'm talking double-digit thousands. I said, 'That's a nice watch.' He says, 'Thanks, Chuck,' blah blah blah. We do the broadcast another two or three hours. One of Tom's boys comes up to me and he says, 'Hey Tom is looking for you.' ...I go up [to the clubhouse] and I say, 'Tom, what's up?' And he says, 'Chuck, take my watch.' I go, 'What?' I said, 'Tom, I'm just saying you have a nice watch.' [He says], 'I appreciate the compliment,' and he just gives me this watch. A couple of collectors have offered me $250,000 for it. I wouldn't sell it for any amount. That's what a guy Tom is. Him and Wayne Gretzky for being the GOATs of their sports are two of the nicest, most humble guys I ever met."

Barkley said it was never his intention for Brady to give him his watch.

"I didn't want him to think I gave him a compliment on the watch because I wanted the watch," Barkley added. "It was a nice watch. I said, 'Tom, you don't have to do that.' But when he said it a second time, I said thank you."

It's clear there is a healthy amount of mutual respect between two all-time greats in their respective sports, but it's pretty wild that Brady handed over a watch that is being appraised for a quarter of a million dollars.

Chalk that up to Brady loving Barkley.

30 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

How to Watch the 2024 NBA Finals With & Without Cable: Full Streaming Guide

A new NBA champion will be crowned come June with the official start of the 2024 NBA Finals.

This year’s competition will feature a showdown between the top-seeded Boston Celtics and either the No. 5 Dallas Mavericks or No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves. The Mavs currently lead the Western Conference finals series, 3-1, and will play the Timberwolves in Game 5 on Thursday.

If the Mavericks manage to close out the series, they will battle Jayson Tatum and the Celtics for their first NBA championship in 13 years.

The Celtics, meanwhile, will be looking to clinch their 18th championship in franchise history, which would surpass the Los Angeles Lakers (17) for most championships all-time.

Here’s how to watch and listen to the 2024 NBA Finals.

All 2024 NBA Finals games will broadcast on ABC.

Fans who have a cable subscription will be able to view the Finals broadcast, which is exclusive to ABC. They should check their local TV stations for specific channel info.

GAME	MATCHUP	DATE/TIME	CHANNEL
Game 1	Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves @ Boston Celtics	Thursday, June 6, 8 p.m. ET	ABC
Game 2	Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves @ Boston Celtics	Sunday, June 9, 8 p.m. ET	ABC
Game 3	Boston Celtics @ Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves	Wednesday, June 12, 8:30 p.m. ET	ABC
Game 4	Boston Celtics @ Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves	Friday, June 14, 8:30 p.m. ET	ABC
Game 5 (if necessary)	Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves @ Boston Celtics	Monday, June 17, 8 p.m. ET	ABC
Game 6 (if necessary)	Boston Celtics @ Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves	Thursday, June 20, 8 p.m. ET	ABC
Game 7 (if necessary)	Dallas Mavericks/ Minnesota Timberwolves @ Boston Celtics	Sunday, June 23, 8 p.m. ET	ABC

All 2024 NBA Finals games will be available to stream on the ESPN app as well as the ABC app. Both the ESPN and ABC apps will require a TV provider login, though.

Streaming options that don’t require cable include FuboTV, DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV. For fans not looking to spend exorbitant amounts on a streaming service, FuboTV offers a free one-week trial to new subscribers.

All 2024 NBA Finals games will be available to listen to on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Channel 86 nationally.

For local stations, fans are encouraged to check their local listings for channel information specific to their area.

Select NBA Finals broadcasts are also available on NBA on ESPN Radio. Fans should also check their local listings for more information as the start date of the Finals nears.

30 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

How Does MLB All-Star Voting Work? Full Explanation & Breakdown

The 2024 MLB All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 16 in Arlington, Texas, and it will feature the sport's biggest names.

The top 24 players from the National League and 23 players from the American League will make up the two All-Star teams in July. But, how are those players selected?

Fans vote on all the positions in the All-Star Game except for the starting pitchers and starting designated hitters. Otherwise, the field will be decided by the fans.

There's a multiple-step process for the players to be officially chosen for an MLB All-Star spot. Here's how the voting for fans will pan out this year.

Phase One of Voting

Beginning on June 5 at 12 p.m. ET, fans will be able to vote on their favorite players for a spot on the All-Star roster. When the voting ends at 12 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 27, the top three players from each position on both the National and American leagues will advance to the next round of voting. So, three first basemen from the National League will be competing for the starting position, for example.

Fans can vote up to five times every 24 hours.

Phase Two of Voting

Fans will only have a few days to vote for the starters in the 2024 All-Star Game after the initial finalists are announced on Sunday, June 30. Fans will have until Wednesday, July 3 at 12 p.m. ET to vote for their favorite MLB stars. Once the three outfield players, four infield players and the catcher are determined, the winners will be announced on social media.

Fans will be able to vote on MLB.com up to four times a day, on the MLB app or at an MLB ballpark.

The winners will be announced after 12 p.m. ET on July 3.

Both the National and American Leagues will have 32 players on the team made up of 20 position players and 12 pitchers each. The fans vote for eight of the players, the players' ballot selects 16 NL players and 17 AL players. Then, the Commissioner's Office chooses eight NL players and six AL players.

The starting pitchers and designated hitters are solely selected by player ballots and votes from the Commissioner's Office.

If a player who was voted or selected onto the All-Star roster cannot play come July 16, whether that be for an injury or a different reason, then the player with the next most votes from the player ballot will move onto the starting roster for that position. The Commissioner's Office will choose who replaces the player who moved up into the starting roster on the reserve list.

Each season, the managers from the teams who competed in the World Series the year prior manages the All-Star teams for the next year. This means that the reigning champion, Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, will manage the American League while Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo will lead the National League.

The managers will choose the batting orders for the teams, along with the pitching order. The NL manager, in this case Lovullo, will choose his designated hitter, too.

The 2024 MLB All-Star Game will start at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16.

30 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

NBA Draft Deadline Winners and Losers: Alabama a Contender With Mark Sears

Some of the biggest names in men’s college basketball spent the last two months in limbo, weighing pro and college options down to the NCAA’s NBA draft withdrawal deadline Wednesday. In all, most of the big names in the sport elected to return to school, aided by massive NIL packages that have ballooned in recent months compared to previous years. That, plus this being the final season of players with a bonus year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic, has rosters around the sport looking loaded.

Here’s a look at some of the biggest winners and losers from the decision deadline.

One of the biggest 50-50 decisions on deadline day was Tide star guard Mark Sears, who averaged 21 points per game on Alabama’s Final Four team in 2023–24. His Wednesday evening announcement that he’s back with the Tide propels Alabama into a legitimate contender for the No. 1 spot in preseason polls, augmenting loaded portal and high school recruiting classes. And to further boost the Tide’s incredible day, talented rising sophomore Jarin Stevenson decided to return for another year as well, which makes this group even deeper and more talented.

Essential in the Huskies’ quest for a third straight national championship was the return of Alex Karaban. With UConn’s four other starters already turning pro, Karaban’s return looms large, giving the Huskies a proven star and one of the better shooters in college basketball. Karaban could likely have gotten drafted in the early-to-middle part of the second round and earned a guaranteed contract, but instead is coming back to finish his degree and take a crack at yet another title. He should be one of the best players in the country next season and could play his way into the back end of the first round of next year’s draft with a big junior season.

The Wildcats had a good offseason in the portal, but much of the work done by Tommy Lloyd & Co. this spring seemed built around a potential Caleb Love return. Arizona got confirmation Wednesday that Love is headed back to school, a massive addition to an already impressive roster. Despite his flaws in shot selection at times, Love is one of the best guards in the country, fresh off averaging better than 18 points, four rebounds and three assists per game on a team that earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. We’ll see if he can lift the Wildcats to a Final Four for the first time since 2001.

Love staying at Arizona adds to an already impressive roster for the Wildcats. / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Wake’s hopes of its first NCAA tournament berth under Steve Forbes hinged on Hunter Sallis withdrawing from the draft. Sallis, who starred for the Demon Deacons in his first season in the program after transferring from the Gonzaga Bulldogs, decided to come back for one more year, giving a massive lift to a Wake team that came up just short of the Big Dance a year ago. Sallis should be one of the nation’s best guards, and the Deacs should be tougher on the interior this season after adding transfers Tre’Von Spillers (Appalachian State Mountaineers), Omaha Biliew (Iowa State Cyclones) and Churchill Abass (DePaul Blue Demons).

Payton Sandfort, the second-leading returning scorer in the Big Ten, took his decision down to the wire. Eventually though, the sharpshooting wing elected to return to school, providing Iowa a boost it desperately needed heading into 2024–25. Sandfort should be in for a massive senior season, and the Hawkeyes have more talent around him this year with young players Owen Freeman and Josh Dix set to break out and transfer forward Seydou Traore expected to make an impact.

Kentucky didn’t have any players on the fence about returning, but was as big a beneficiary as anyone of draft withdrawals after top transfer wing Jaxson Robinson simultaneously withdrew from the draft and announced his commitment to Kentucky. Robinson had long been speculated about as a potential Kentucky target given he played for new Wildcats coach Mark Pope at BYU, but was seen as a true 50-50 to stay in the draft or turn pro. Plus, Robinson had made clear that his recruitment was open to other schools than just Kentucky. Winning this battle helps boost Pope’s team into top 25 consideration entering his first year on the job and gives them the high-level wing they were looking for.

Memphis had been optimistic it could get David Jones back for another year. Instead, the Tigers’ star wing elected to stay in the draft Wednesday afternoon, a significant hit to Memphis’s hopes of getting back to the NCAA tournament after missing the party in 2024. Jones averaged nearly 22 points per game a season ago, but struggled at the NBA draft combine and measured under 6'4", less-than-ideal size for a wing. He likely won’t be drafted higher than the late second round. Memphis has done a nice job in the portal, but replacing Jones’s production won’t be easy … especially this late in the cycle.

It always seemed like a long shot Kansas would retain talented freshman wing Johnny Furphy, but the Jayhawks were one of the few teams not to hold onto its stay-or-go pieces on decision day. Furphy’s stock seems to bounce somewhere between mid-to-late first round and early second round, but his meteoric rise as a prospect from playing in high school events last summer to being sure of his name being called on draft night this year is remarkable. Kansas, for what it’s worth, is still well-positioned with wing adds like Rylan Griffen and AJ Storr.

Furphy chose to stay in the NBA draft and is likely to be selected mid-to-late first round or early second round. / Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco program has been knocking on the door to break into the true top tier of the WCC. Its hopes of a breakthrough in 2024–25 took a hit when star forward Jonathan Mogbo stayed in the draft. Mogbo is a unique player, a point forward with elite athleticism who was the centerpiece of what San Francisco did on both ends. Replacing him, especially this late, is nearly impossible.

While draft decisions did provide clarity for a lot of teams and help round out some rosters, there are still some high-profile holes to fill around the country. And while, as expected, names like Coleman Hawkins and Ugonna Onyenso elected to stay in school and zoom in on portal options, a few big names like Cam Christie and Jaylen Wells decided to remain in the draft. Add in a few commitments coinciding with draft decisions like JT Toppin’s at Texas Tech and Baba Miller’s at Florida Atlantic, and the market of still-available players is a bit more depleted than expected heading into June.

30 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Former Penn State Football Team Doctor Wins $5.25 Million Lawsuit Against University

Former Penn State football orthopedic consultant and director of medicine, Dr. Scott Lynch, was awarded $5.25 million in his wrongful termination suit filed against Penn State Health in Dauphin County, Pa., court on Thursday morning.

Lynch accused Penn State football coach James Franklin of meddling with medical treatment decisions of injured players, and the accusations were at the center of the former team doctor's civil lawsuit. Dr. Pete Seidenberg, who served as the team's primary care physician is 2014, testified that Franklin attempted to medically disqualify a player who planned to commit suicide to free up a scholarship to use in recruiting.

After Lynch won his civil lawsuit against the Penn State health system on Thursday, it remains to be seen if the university plans to hold any internal investigation into Franklin's alleged actions with team medical decisions.

Franklin is 88–39 in his 10 seasons with the Nittany Lions.

29 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Jorge López Chucks Glove Into Stands After Ejection During Mets’ Latest Meltdown

There are not many MLB ball clubs going through it right now like the New York Mets.

The Mets, who have lost eight of their last 10 games and are 7–19 in May, were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. And in the eighth inning of the series finale, reliever Jorge López joined a long list of Mets players to have a meltdown on the field.

López entered the game in the eighth with the Mets trailing 5–3. He was assessed an error on a pickoff attempt gone wrong, and then gave up a two-run double to Miguel Vargas and a two-run homer to Shohei Ohtani.

In the next at-bat, López thought Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman offered at a pitch. When third base umpire Ramon De Jesus disagreed, López argued the call and was quickly ejected. López continued to shout at De Jesus as he walked off the field and hurled his glove into the stands before disappearing into the dugout.

One lucky fan is going home with quite the souvenir.

Jorge López has been ejected by third base umpire Ramon De Jesus.
López threw his glove into the crowd on his way off the field. pic.twitter.com/5BlF6badFQ
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 29, 2024

"That's where the Mets are at right now," an analyst said on the SNY broadcast.

López, an All-Star is 2022, has hit a rough patch lately, allowing a home run in three straight outings. He hasn't pitched in a Mets win since a 6–5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on May 16.

New York has sunk to 22–32 through 54 games and currently is 15 and 1/2 games behind the first-place Phillies in the NL East. The Mets will continue an 11-game homestand at Citi Field on Thursday with a four-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

29 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Bryan Rust Thinks Penguins Would’ve Upset Rangers If They Made Playoffs Over Capitals

The Pittsburgh Penguins were not a participant in this year's Stanley Cup playoffs, having missed out on the postseason after coming up short in a wild-card race that went down to the wire in the Eastern Conference.

At least one player on the team seems to think that the Penguins would've made a better showing than some teams that did qualify for this year's playoffs.

Winger Bryan Rust said Wednesday that he thinks Pittsburgh could've staged an upset of the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs had they snuck in as the final playoff team.

During an interview with gamer Ninja, Rust said that he felt the Penguins matched up well with the Rangers, who have gone on to the Eastern Conference Final.

In an interview with Ninja, Bryan Rust said he believes the Penguins would've beaten the Rangers in the first round if Pittsburgh made it instead of Washington 👀 pic.twitter.com/2EoeIEbWkN
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 29, 2024

"I think we would've beat the Rangers," Rust said. "It is a matchup thing. You look across the league and there's some teams that you do well against and teams that you don't. And I feel like the Rangers would've been good for us, if we could've figure out our penalty kill against their power play."

Across three regular-season matchups this year, New York held a 2–1 record against the Penguins. Still, Rust made clear he thinks that Pittsburgh would've matched up well with the Rangers, and maybe given them a closer fight than that of the Washington Capitals, who were brushed aside in four games.

29 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Commanders Owner Addresses Talk of Team’s Potential Name Change

Ever since Josh Harris's ownership group purchased the Washington Commanders from Daniel Snyder in 2023, there has been plenty of speculation about the new boss changing the franchise's team name.

The franchise, which was established in 1932, became the Washington Football Team in 2020. The name Commanders graced the team's jerseys beginning in '22 when Snyder was still calling the shots.

"As you would imagine, everyone has an opinion on the name. Some good, some bad, and some in the middle," owner Majorie Harris, the wife of Josh Harris, said to reporters Wednesday. "I think that we have a lot of work to do. That name issue is going to be on the side for now until we can get things going.

"Quite frankly, I had a whole day in the community. I kept referring to the team as the Commanders. You know what, it sounds pretty good to me. So for now, it's the Commanders."

Had the opportunity to ask Commanders owner Majorie Harris about the team name:
"Quite frankly, I had a whole day out in the community, and I kept referring to the team as the Commanders. And you know what? Sounds pretty good to me. So, for now, it's the Commanders." pic.twitter.com/SdsORINpYu
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) May 29, 2024

Last summer, team co-owner Magic Johnson hinted that the Commanders' name could be headed under another rebrand with the new ownership group in town.

"I think everything's on the table, especially after this year," Johnson said on The Today Show in July. "We'll see where we are with the name, but I can't say [for sure] right now."

Per ESPN's John Keim, the organization was down to three finalists for the new team name—the Commanders, the RedWolves and the Washington, D.C. Football Club. The franchise also considered the Presidents, Brigade, Redhogs, Football Team, Armada and Defenders.

For now, though, it appears rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will begin his NFL career wearing a Commanders jersey.

29 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

What’s the Furthest the Florida Panthers Have Ever Gone in the NHL Playoffs?

The Florida Panthers are once again making a deep run in the NHL playoffs in 2024, continuing the franchise's chase for its first Stanley Cup title.

Florida was established as an NHL expansion franchise in 1993 and made its first playoff appearance in '96. Over 30 seasons, the Panthers have made 10 playoff appearances—including their current streak of five straight seasons—and have won nine postseason series as they battle the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final.

The Panthers advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in two of those 10 playoff appearances in 1996 and 2023, coming up just short of hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup both times. Here's a look back at the Panthers' two runs to the Stanley Cup Final:

GAME	RESULT
Game 1	Avalanche 3, Panthers 1
Game 2	Avalanche 8, Panthers 1
Game 3	Avalanche 3, Panthers 2
Game 4	Avalanche 1, Panthers 0

The 1995–96 Panthers made the most of their first playoff appearance in franchise history, defeating the Boston Bruins in five games, the Philadelphia Flyers in six and the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven for a chance to play on hockey's biggest stage.

The 1996 Stanley Cup Final featured a matchup between two franchises attempting to win their first league title, as the Colorado Avalanche battled through the Western Conference bracket. The 1995–96 campaign was the Avalanche's first in Colorado, as the franchise formerly known as the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver after the 1994–95 season.

The series was all Colorado from the start. Goaltender Patrick Roy stopped 147 of the 151 shots he faced, and Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic tallied five points apiece as the Avalanche swept Florida in four games.

The Panthers wouldn't make another appearance in the Stanley Cup Final until nearly 30 years later in 2023.

GAME	RESULT
Game 1	Golden Knights 5, Panthers 2
Game 2	Golden Knights 7, Panthers 2
Game 3	Panthers 3, Golden Knights 2 (OT)
Game 4	Golden Knights 3, Panthers 2
Game 5	Golden Knights 9, Panthers 3

The Panthers' run through the 2023 playoffs was quite a roller coaster. As the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, Florida found itself trailing the Boston Bruins 3–1 in the opening round but battled back to win the last three games of the series 4–3, 7–5 and 4–3 to advance. Florida defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games and swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.

Florida's momentum stopped against Vegas, however. Golden Knights forward Mark Stone scored a series-high five goals and Jonathan Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP after tallying eight points (four goals, four assists) in the Stanley Cup Final.

After making the playoffs for three straight years from 2019 to '22 and winning the Presidents' Trophy in the 2021–22 campaign, the Panthers reconstructed their roster and traded top scorer Jonathan Huberdeau and three other assets to the Ottawa Senators for Matthew Tkachuk. The gamble paid off, as Tkachuk led them back to the Stanley Cup Final, but a championship still proved to be illusive for the franchise that calls Sunrise, Fla., home.