Doris Burke

Overview

Doris Burke is a basketball analyst for ESPN and ABC who has been calling games for more than 35 years. She grew up in Manasquan, New Jersey, and left Providence College as its all-time assist leader. After two years as an assistant coach there, she began her broadcasting career in 1990 by calling Providence women’s games on the radio. In 2000, she became the first woman to call a New York Knicks game on radio and television, and in 2017 ESPN made her a national NBA game analyst, the first woman to hold that role full time. In 2020, she became the first woman to call the NBA Finals on ESPN Radio, and in 2024, she became the first woman to be a TV analyst for the NBA Finals on ABC.

Why She Matters

Doris Burke opened doors in a part of sports broadcasting where few women had been given a chance. She started by calling women’s college games on local radio and worked her way up to the NBA Finals. Her years as a player and coach helped her explain what was happening on the court to viewers at home. In 2018, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame gave her the Curt Gowdy Media Award, which honors outstanding basketball broadcasters. Her career shows that a sport you play can lead to a seat in the booth, and that a small first broadcast can lead to the biggest stage.