Jeff Van Gundy, who was a lead color commentator for ESPN’s NBA coverage for 16 years, was one of the many on-air personalities laid off by the network on Friday.
Van Gundy was a mainstay for primetime NBA coverage for ESPN, and will certainly be difficult to replace. The trio of Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Mike Breen, along with NBA coach-turned-analyst Mark Jackson and Van Gundy keyed the coverage of the biggest games for a long time at the worldwide leader.
Internally, former players JJ Redick and Richard Jefferson are reportedly candidates to replace Van Gundy. Doris Burke, who is also a widely respected commentator on ESPN, will also be a candidate to be elevated to the No. 1 broadcasting team, per Andrew Marchand and Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post.
