1. ESPN announced on Thursday that its new lead NBA booth would feature Mike Breen, Richard Jefferson and Tim Legler. Doris Burke, who was part of the crew last year, has been moved to ESPN’s No. 2 NBA broadcast team.

Here’s how ESPN’s top NBA broadcast crew has changed from 2023 to 2025:

Breen, Burke, Doc Rivers
Breen, Burke, JJ Redick
Breen, Burke, Jefferson
Breen, Jefferson, Legler

Here was ESPN’s top NBA broadcast crew from 2007 to 2023: Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson (in 2012 and 2013, it was just Breen and Van Gundy because Jackson had gone into coaching for two seasons).

Two years later and ESPN is still feeling the effects of firing Van Gundy, the best analyst in the sport. This isn’t surprising because if you have the “best” of something in any industry, you don’t fire them. If you do, you’re only asking for trouble. ESPN asked for trouble and ESPN got trouble.

Legler is a very good analyst. That doesn’t mean the booth of Breen, Jefferson and Legler automatically will be a good listen. They need to mesh, they need to have chemistry and they have to overcome the challenge of being a three-person booth.

It makes zero sense for NBA booths to feature two analysts when they barely get time to speak during the game. Basketball is a play-by-play person’s sport. It’s hard enough to get one analyst to shine. Needing two analysts to shine is a large task.

ESPN airs the NBA Finals every year and will do so for at least 11 more years. The network’s lead NBA booth matters, a lot. Hopefully, they can get it right sooner rather than later.

2. The Spanish radio call of Kyle Schwarber’s fourth home run Thursday night was PURE ELECTRICITY.

3. Here are some things you need to know about Lee Corso’s final appearance on College GameDay this Saturday:

• Corso will make his final headgear pick at Ohio State, where he made his very first headgear pick all the way back in 1996.

• Chris Fowler, who hosted GameDay from 1990 to 2014, and is currently working the U.S. Open for ESPN and will call the LSU-Clemson game on Saturday night, will be on site at The Horseshoe for the show.

• The show will feature a “History of the Headgear” segment that will look back at the Saturday morning tradition.

Personally, I’m hoping for a segment dissecting this moment.

4. It was so great to see a fake punt touchdown from South Florida on Thursday night. College football and the NFL need more fake punts and fake field goals. Automatic adrenaline rush.

5. I like this move for the WWE and Monday Night Raw. Smart to get a one hour jump on Monday Night Football.

6. This week’s episode of SI Media With Jimmy Traina features a conversation with legendary broadcaster Brent Musburger.

Musburger talks about finally making the Hall of Fame after winning the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, his appearance on NBC at the Hall of Fame Game and his upcoming appearance on CBS’s The NFL Today in Week 3, where the show will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a throwback edition.

In addition, Musburger shares stories about getting in a fight with Jimmy The Greek, getting scolded by ESPN for betting references, the status of Las Vegas as a tourist attraction, how he will spend the first NFL Sunday and much more.

Following Musburger, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week’s topics include the YouTubeTV-Fox carriage dispute, a great TikTok video of a guy complaining about streaming, Lee Corso’s final episode of College GameDay, Major League Baseball’s broadcast future, the end of summer and the NFL’s return and more.

You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: The very first SummerSlam took place on this date in 1988. It was not a good day for The Honky Tonk Man.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as ESPN Takes Yet ANOTHER Stab at Fixing a Mess of Its Own Creation.