Meet The First Woman To Ever Announce A Major Men's Championship (2024)

On June 6, the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks will face off in the first game of the NBA Finals. But during the face-off, another person will be making history: ABC/ESPN's Doris Burke.

As the lead of the networks' NBA broadcasting crew, Doris, 59, will officially become the first female broadcaster to call any major men's championship in the United States in history, per Sports Illustrated. Mike Breen and J.J. Reddick will announce courtside, as they've done throughout the season.

“I’ll be honest with you, it’s meaningful,” Doris told The Rich Eisen Show earlier in the month. “There’s no doubt that that sentiment hasn’t dawned on me. Obviously, what could be better for me if in some way this assignment helps women in some way? There could be nothing more meaningful.”

But who is Doris Burke, and has she played basketball herself? Here's everything to know about the groundbreaking announcer.

Who is Doris Burke and where did she go to college?

Doris, who was born and raised in Manasquan, New Jersey, is a basketball legend. She started her career playing for the Providence Friars, even graduating in 1987 as the player with the most assists with 602, according to her player bio. She made 87 consecutive starts and had a career average of about 12 points per game. Doris was inducted into Providence's Hall of Fame in 1999.

After she graduated, Doris first entered the business by calling Providence women's basketball games on the radio. “There was no one listening,” Doris joked to the NBA in 2022.

She’s since been covering sports for more than 30 years, serving as a WNBA analyst for the New York Liberty on MSG Network, a women’s college basketball analyst on CBS Sports, and a frequent columnist on all things basketball, according to her ESPN press bio.

Plus, she's already made history covering the NBA Finals: In 2020, Doris became the first woman to serve as a game analyst for the championship when she provided commentary on ESPN Radio, which she has done for every series since. She also spent nine years as the Finals’ lead sideline reporter, according to Front Office Sports.

Is Doris Burke in the Hall of Fame?

Yes! The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame awarded Doris its Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2018, per Front Office Sports.

In her acceptance speech, Doris thanked Providence College, ESPN, LeBron James, and everyone else who had helped her along the way.

"I have the best job in the world for somebody who loves the game," she said, getting emotional.

Is Doris Burke married?

Doris was married to Gregg Burke, who works in athletics as well, but they divorced in 2012. The couple has two children, a son named Matthew and a daughter named Sarah. She is also a grandmother, per Vanity Fair.

Her son even played into one of her first big announcing gigs: When the Doris' children were young, Matthew fell off a bench in the family's basem*nt and needed stitches. When they returned from the hospital, they had received 16 voicemails alerting them that only one of the Providence men’s basketball announcers had shown up and they needed Doris to fill in, according to The Hartford Courant.

“[Doris] was a wreck. She's got blood all over her shirt. We call my parents, we're like, 'We've got to get there now,'" Gregg recalled. "We both shower, we bomb down there, 55 minutes before the game, she hasn't prepared for either team."

"She visits the Pitt people for 10 minutes, the PC people for 10 minutes and they drag her out to do the opening,” he continued. And the rest was history!

What is Doris Burke’s salary?

Doris reportedly makes $1 million per year, per The Sun. In summer 2023, she was offered the ABC/ESPN job after the networks underwent a staff shakeup, a position which Doris immediately accepted, Vanity Fair reported.

"How are you going to turn down that seat?" she told the publication.

Excited to watch you, Doris!