Why demoting Doris Burke was the ‘right decision’: ESPN exec

It wasn’t just about Doris Burke.

Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content, spoke highly of the longtime analyst after she was demoted out of the top NBA booth in August and explained the rationale behind the decision in a recent podcast with The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch.

“I think it was the right decision because we were still searching for the perfect combination,” Magnus said, per Awful Announcing.

“Again, we’re talking about an A-plus-plus human being in Doris Burke here … There was no coincidence that we extended her at the same time we were putting her with a new partner.”

Burke spent two seasons alongside Mike Breen and a trio of other analysts, most recently Richard Jefferson, before she was replaced by Tim Legler for the upcoming campaign.

ESPN announced a multi-year extension for Burke on the same day she was demoted and she will now work with Dave Pasch on the No. 2 team.

“And we honestly believe that now with a little experience in the top team in a three-person arrangement, that the best manifestation of Doris’ work is actually alone with a play-by-play person,” Magnus said. “We have in our new arrangement, as was the case with the last one, a schedule of plenty of high-profile NBA games to go around.

“And so she’ll be calling big games, meaningful games in her new circumstance relative to the top team … And this is where, really, the expertise of our NBA production management, so Tim Corrigan, Mike McQuade in particular, just a feeling that that alignment gave us the best chance to make the best possible presentation of the biggest games. And really, when you boil it down, we’re talking about which team is going to call the Finals, or really, which team is going to call the Conference finals and the Finals. And beyond that, they all call big regular-season games.”

Burke, a 60-year-old former high basketball star from New Jersey, received mixed reviews as a trailblazing voice on the biggest stage.

She had stepped in after Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy were part of ESPN’s mass layoffs in 2023. Burke was paired with Doc Rivers before he took the Bucks coaching job. JJ Redick initially replaced Rivers before he became the Lakers coach, and Jefferson then replaced Redick.

Legler, a 3-point NBA specialist in the ’90s with seven NBA teams, has been a well-respected studio voice at ESPN since his retirement.

“Tim is great. What a story,” Magnus said. “Twenty-five years plus at ESPN has done games, has done studio, has been with Scott Van Pelt on ‘SportsCenter,’ highly respected basketball mind, great communicator.

“I guess a little underappreciated over the years … by us. I think he had a ton of fans out there in NBA circles, both fans and professionals alike. So we’re excited to see him get a crack at being a part of this top team, and he’s earned it.”