ESPN confirmed previously-reported information regarding its coverage plans for the 2023-24 National Basketball Association, headlined by the new lead commentary booth joining Mike Breen. The network announced that it has reached a multi-year contract extension with Doris Burke and a multi-year agreement with Doc Rivers, elevating both analysts to work with Breen on NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC games, the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals on ABC. The new information divulged, amid earlier speculation that analyst JJ Redick could have an expanded role after calling 25 games last season, is that he is now joining a regular broadcast booth.
After a successful second year with the “Worldwide Leader” that included frequent appearances on First Take, NBA Today and other studio programming, Redick will now be part of the network’s secondary broadcast team. He will be joined by lead WNBA play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco and analyst Richard Jefferson to call the NBA Sunday Showcase series on ABC. Jefferson also reached a multi-year contract extension with ESPN, and he will make his debut as a full-time game analyst during the opening week of coverage in October. Additionally, the new secondary broadcast triumvirate will work in tandem during the season and in parts of the NBA Playoffs.
“The one thing you have to do in this business is always have succession planning. In that team, you have the potential making of a succession plan,” NBA Head of Event and Studio Production Dave Roberts said. “It might be 10 years away, but at the end of the day, the NBA, based on the product, whether it’s in the in-season tournament, games on Saturday night on ABC or whatever – the play-in; the extended playoffs – I think it’s important there is a clear No. 2 team.”
Mark Jones and Dave Pasch return to call NBA games next season, marking Jones’ 33rd year calling games with the network. For select games throughout the season, Jones and Pasch will be joined by Hubie Brown to form a three-man booth. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member and former NBA coach begins his 20th season with ESPN and his 50th overall with the NBA.
ESPN reached a contract extension with Brown that will have him continue to call NBA games for next season, and he and network leadership have kept an open dialogue on a year-by-year basis. Over his time with the network, Brown has become one of its most recognizable talents on its basketball coverage and has the respect of his colleagues and fans.
ESPN endured various layoffs of prominent on-air talent, including Jalen Rose, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson within its NBA coverage. It came after The Walt Disney Company’s leadership directed its business entities to identify expendable areas to cut $5.5 billion in operating costs, resulting in slashing 7,000 jobs.
The decision to let go of Van Gundy and Jackson broke up the longest-tenured national broadcast booth in the Association, and one that generally received positive feedback from fans. While Van Gundy and Jackson have yet to decide whether or not they will remain in sports media, they could prove valuable to networks seeking to land NBA broadcasting rights upon their expiration after the 2024-25 campaign.
“Doris has proven herself as one of the top analysts covering the NBA for quite some time,” Roberts said. “I’m looking forward to seeing her and the chemistry she already has with Doc Rivers. They’re close friends and they have a mutual respect for one another both professionally and personally, and those are key ingredients in having the kind of chemistry you have to have on any team.”
As for Rose, he continues to host a podcast with the New York Post where he talks about sports and culture at large. Taking his seat on the lead NBA Countdown studio show will be Bob Myers, a two-time NBA Executive of the Year award winner and four-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors. Myers will be joined by new show host Malika Andrews, who will also anchor coverage of the NBA Finals.
“I strongly believe we have a deep bench of talent, and again, there are multiple shows that we work on all day long,” Roberts said. “….We’re never going to be in a situation where we have one team that’s going to be on eight weeks out of the season or 18 weeks out of the season for pre and postgame shows. That’s just not how we operate here.”
The rest of the cast remains the same, with Stephen A. Smith, Michael Wilbon and Adrian Wojnarowski all confirmed as returning. Wednesday and Friday editions of the show will include Andrews, Jefferson and Wojnarowski, along with analysts Kendrick Perkins and Chiney Ogwumike. Moreover, Andrews will continue as the lead host for the third season of NBA Today, and will be backed up by Ogwumike for select programs.
Smith was moved off of the ESPN edition of NBA Countdown, a move that Roberts affirms was made out of a consciousness towards his workload. Last season, Smith launched an alternate broadcast – NBA in Stephen A’s World – and it featured many guests from the sports and entertainment industries providing their perspectives about basketball and beyond. Roberts confirmed that the alternate broadcast will return next season, but just how it is going to be carried out is still in deliberation.
Those involved in NBA coverage at the network are anticipating salient moments throughout the year, such as the launch of the in-season tournament and LeBron James potentially being named to an All-Star team for the 20th time.
