The quick rise of Richard Jefferson at ESPN continues.
Andrew Marchand of The Athletic is reporting that Jefferson has reached agreement on a new contract as one of the top NBA analysts at ESPN, where he will continue as part of the network’s No. 1 broadcast booth. Jefferson will call premier games, including the NBA Finals, alongside lead announcer Mike Breen.
Despite both Jefferson and Breen lobbying publicly for their partner Doris Burke during the NBA postseason this past spring, The Athletic reports Burke’s “spot on the top team remains in question.” If the Worldwide Leader were to demote or move on from Burke, according to The Athletic, the most likely replacement would be longtime ESPN stalwart Tim Legler.
Jefferson, who is 45, started at ESPN less than a decade ago shortly after retiring from a storied NBA career. Starting on Brooklyn Nets games for YES Network before quickly jumping to ESPN studio work, Jefferson rose to the No. 2 booth alongside Ryan Ruocco and JJ Redick in 2022. When Redick left to coach the Los Angeles Lakers and Ruocco formalized a role as ESPN’s top women’s basketball announcer, Jefferson was promoted to replace Redick alongside Breen and Burke.
However, ESPN did not officially make that change until midway through the 2024-25 season, leaving the trio with a limited runway to mesh. Given that it was Burke’s third partner in about a year, chemistry was slow to build.
During the NBA Finals, when scrutiny is at its most intense, Burke and Jefferson were an occasionally clumsy fit. Burke wasn’t herself, remarking upon the history of relations between France and Germany while analyzing two European centers in the Western Conference Finals and not appearing to fully understand the “free-throw merchant” reference she made regarding MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. At the same time, Jefferson went viral for bungling a breakdown out of a commercial break and at one point calling out his partners’ silence on-air.
The trio appears to be committed to one another, nevertheless. Breen argued publicly that the trio was improving while Jefferson defended Burke on-air after a report surfaced indicating she could lose her perch.
At last, ESPN appears to feel confident in two members of its top NBA booth for the first time since laying off Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson in 2023. Jefferson and Breen could go forward together, or the group could get its wish and keep growing with Burke.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.