Monday morning, the word on the street was that Mark Jackson’s role as an ESPN NBA analyst was “in peril.”
By Monday afternoon, he was officially out of the company, following in the footsteps of former boothmate Jeff Van Gundy.
New York Post columnist Peter Vecsey broke the news that Jackson’s second stint with ESPN was officially over.
This just in: Mark Jackson told me he was let go by ESPN. He had two years left on his contract. Jeff Van Gundy was let go weeks ago. Doc Rivers and Doris Burke are now Mike Breen’s partners…
— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) July 31, 2023
“This just in: Mark Jackson told me he was let go by ESPN. He had two years left on his contract,” said Vecsey.
Andrew Marchand, who had initially reported that Jackson was set to be replaced by Doris Burke and Doc Rivers as ESPN’s lead NBA analysts alongside announcer Mike Breen, updated his report soon after.
NEWS: Mark Jackson is now out at ESPN, according to sources.https://t.co/8AhPLrR6U4
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) July 31, 2023
In Marchand’s initial report, he noted that while Jackson “could stay on and join play-by-player Mark Jones on the network’s second team. If he balks at that option, he could be headed out of ESPN.” It appears that he balked.
The news of Jackson leaving also all but confirms the report that Burke and Rivers are going to be part of ESPN’s top team, as has been rumored for some time now. There have long been calls for ESPN to elevate Burke, including her presumed new booth partner Mike Breen, who did so in 2018.
Rivers, meanwhile, would be returning to the network where he’s been a guest analyst when not coaching. He has long been rumored to join the ESPN booth.
Jackson initially started working as an analyst for ESPN in 2006 and did so through 2011 before leaving to coach the Golden State Warriors. He returned to the network in 2016 and has held down that role until now.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.