After Rick Carlisle took time to defend Doris Burke ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the ESPN analyst returned the favor by expressing gratitude.
As Burke was preparing to call her second NBA Finals as a lead analyst for ESPN and ABC this week, Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported it may be her last. Carlisle, who was simultaneously preparing to coach the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, opened his pregame press conference by praising Burke as an analyst, broadcaster and trailblazer.
Friday morning, Burke joined ESPN Radio’s Joe & Q show to discuss the Pacers stunning comeback win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. And during the interview, host Q Myers asked about the pregame support she received from Carlisle.
“He has ALWAYS been an enormous supporter of mine, it speaks to the human being he is.”@heydb on Rick Carlisle’s praise for her pregame ❤️ https://t.co/ywuBeAZcsG pic.twitter.com/bcS3bWqvZ0
— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) June 6, 2025
“He reached out to me earlier in the day and I just want you guys to consider – I’m going to try not to get emotional here,” Burke said. “The man is about to coach Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he has absolutely reached the pinnacle of his sport.
“But he took the time to check in on another human being to make sure I was okay. He has always been an enormous supporter of mine. And I just think it speaks to the human being he is. When he walked in that coaches meeting, I always give him a hug, I held him a little bit longer last night.”
Carlisle checked in on Burke after seeing the reports that her second NBA Finals as a lead analyst for ESPN might be her last.
“I saw the things that were leaked yesterday about Doris Burke and I just wanted to say a couple of things. She has changed the game for women in broadcasting,” Carlisle said at his pregame press conference.
“Doris is a great example of courage and putting herself out there. It was just so sad to see the reports leaked, really unnecessarily, before such a celebrated event. Doris is a friend. I’ve asked her many times, when is she getting into coaching, because she has such great knowledge. There are many women who she’s paved the way for.”
Burke was elevated to ESPN’s lead NBA booth after the network controversially parted ways with Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. Since joining Mike Breen on the broadcast, Burke has been paired with three different co-analysts.
First it was Doc Rivers, until he abruptly left to coach the Milwaukee Bucks. Then it was JJ Redick, until he abruptly left to coach the Los Angeles Lakers. Now it’s Richard Jefferson. And as Jefferson recently noted, it’s unfair to judge an evolving and revolving booth against one that spent 15 seasons together, like Breen, Jackson and Van Gundy did.
Despite not being put in the best position to succeed, sports media is a demanding industry. And ESPN will now reportedly consider whether to replace Burke before next season. It’s the nature of the business, but it won’t make Burke’s job any easier these Finals.