Doris Burke has mostly been seen on the NBA sidelines, but ESPN is setting up to make a change. The “World-Wide Leader in Sports” will announce Burke as a regular game analyst for the upcoming season according to Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch. She will replace the departed Doug Collins, who accepted a job with the Chicago Bulls.
The transition means that Burke will be the first woman to have a full rotation of NBA games at the national level. She has also said she will keep her sideline reporter job during the NBA Conference Finals and NBA Finals, but is excited for the future. “When Doug Collins made the decision to leave the network and join the Chicago Bulls’ organization, it opened up an opportunity to be more involved in our coverage as a game analyst,” Burke said on Monday. “To have an opportunity to be more involved with one of the most important properties at ESPN is an honor.”
The landscape for women in sports has been a rocky one to say the least. However, times are certainly changing and more women are being given opportunities. There is little doubt that Doris Burke will succeed in this full-time role given her professionalism, knowledge of the game of basketball, and respect around the league. Women are already entering the booths around the NBA too. Sarah Kustok was announced last week as the Brooklyn Nets full-time color-commentator and Stephanie Ready became a full-time game analyst for the Charlotte Hornets in 2015.
“I believe if the players and coaches respect my viewpoint of the game, then fans will as well”, Burke said. “It’s pretty cool to have a greater role and the chance to continue to cover a sport that I love with the best players and coaches in the world.”
