ESPN announced that former NBA player and Duke star JJ Redick will join Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame broadcasters Mike Breen and Doris Burke to form ESPN/ABC’s new, lead NBA broadcast team. Redick takes the spot of Doc Rivers, who left last month to become Head Coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The team will call the NBA Finals on ABC, the Eastern Conference Finals, and top NBA Playoffs and regular-season games all year long.
JJ Redick said: “I am grateful for the opportunity to sit alongside legends like Mike and Doris and call the game that I absolutely love. I consider it a privilege and a great responsibility to document the NBA and its history.”
ESPN fired Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy last summer after 18 years together with Mike Breen. Doc Rivers and Doris Burke were named their replacements but Rivers — a former broadcaster for ESPN in 2004 — didn’t even last a half season before returning to the NBA coaching ranks.
The new team will make their debut on the February 24 edition of NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC – Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks – at 8:30 p.m. ET. Redick has served as an NBA game analyst the last two seasons. He also makes regular appearances on Get Up, First Take and SportsCenter while also hosting his podcast: The Old Man and the Three.
David Roberts, ESPN Head of Event and Studio Production said: “JJ Redick is one of the most versatile and knowledgeable analysts covering the NBA. He watches every NBA game and studies all aspects of the key players and teams across the league. That commitment will only enhance our first-class presentation, which includes hall of fame broadcasters and teammates Mike Breen and Doris Burke, along with courtside reporter Lisa Salters. This lead team will entertain and inform fans at the highest level.”
Redick joined ESPN at the start of the 2021-22 season. The all-time leading scorer at Duke University went on to play 15 seasons in the NBA, appearing in the 2009 NBA Finals on ABC as a member of the Orlando Magic.
