Grant Hill, Richard Jefferson, Tim Legler and Jay Bilas are atop ABC/ESPN’s record to affix Mike Breen and Doris Burke as a part of its high broadcast crew for the NBA Finals, sources briefed on the community’s plans stated Friday.
Whereas ESPN might select to stick with a two-person sales space of Breen and Burke, ideally they wish to create a three-person setup for the long term.
When reached, ESPN declined to remark.
The community’s lead NBA broadcast staff has been in flux for greater than a yr after ESPN determined to fireplace their long-running NBA Finals analyst Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson as a part of final summer time’s layoffs.
They first added Doc Rivers and elevated Burke to affix Breen. After months of service on the community, Rivers broke his promise to stay with ESPN when he took the Milwaukee Bucks’ head-coach job.
ESPN then turned to JJ Redick, who has been a rising media star as a podcaster, studio analyst after which on video games. After the NBA Finals, he left ESPN to develop into the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
These departures had ESPN contemplating two different former Duke stars. Hill, 51, is presently beneath contract with TNT Sports activities, the place he’s on the lead Ultimate 4 staff with Ian Eagle and Invoice Raftery. Hill additionally does broadcast work on NBA video games and has a number of outdoors enterprise pursuits.
Bilas, 60, could be a little bit of an outside-the-box selection. Whereas he’s ESPN’s high school basketball commentator and works the NBA Draft, he by no means performed within the league. Though he has been thought of over current weeks, one supply briefed on the ESPN inside discussions described Bilas as a longshot.
Jefferson, 44, was handed over in favor of Redick final yr. The chief beforehand accountable for ESPN’s NBA protection, David Roberts, had anointed Ryan Ruocco, Jefferson and Redick because the potential Finals trio of the long run.
Roberts is now not overseeing the NBA after community president of content material Burke Magnus’ current reorganization positioned longtime ESPN producer Mike McQuade accountable for the community’s protection of the league.
Legler, 57, has been an ESPN stalwart for many years. Typically neglected, he has been given extra recognition in recent times and has been a longtime favourite of Scott Van Pelt, featured on his late-night SportsCenter.
ESPN might simply stand pat and see how Breen and the trailblazing Burke work as a duo earlier than presumably including a 3rd particular person.
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(Picture of Grant Hill: Kirby Lee / USA In the present day)
