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.
Externally, ESPN is also expected to consider Doc Rivers, who was fired by the 76ers after their playoff exit. Rivers tried his hand at broadcasting prior to his coaching career, spending a year with NBA on ABC, and was quite good at it. Rivers may consider taking a break from the sidelines after his latest dismissal, and ESPN is expected to take a look at him, especially if his salary demands are offset by what the Sixers owe him in his contract buyout, according to Marchand’s report.
Rivers is also a close friend of Breen, which never hurts.
There is no doubt that Van Gundy will be tough to replace, but there are plenty of intriguing candidates as ESPN looks to flank Breen and Jackson with a new member of the broadcasting team.
