ESPN announcer Mike Breen offered an update on Lisa Salters, who was absent from her reporter duties during Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday.
Early in the third quarter, Breen revealed that Salters is away from the ESPN crew as her mother deals with a serious health issue. Breen wished Salters and her family well during the broadcast.
“We’re thinking of our dear friend and colleague, Lisa Salters,” Breen said. “Lisa’s mom has been dealing with some very serious health issues for a while now, so we want to send our love to Lisa and her mom. Although we’ve never met her mom, we owe her a debt of gratitude for giving us the gift of Lisa Salters, who is the teammate everyone in our business should strive to have.”
Mike Breen: "[Lisa Salters'] mom has been dealing with some serious health issues for a while now… Although we've never met her mom, we owe her a debt of gratitude for giving us the gift of Lisa Salters, who is the teammate everyone in our business should strive to have." 🎙️❤️ pic.twitter.com/7YJHlKfiwh
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 9, 2025
ESPN had previously announced that Salters would be absent from the network’s Game 2 coverage due to a “personal matter.” Jorge Sedano filled in for her on the broadcast. It is not yet clear if she will be able to return for Wednesday’s Game 3 in Indiana.
Salters has been ESPN’s NBA Finals sideline reporter since 2022. She has also been the sideline reporter for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” since 2012. She was absent from a game last season for a personal matter as well.