Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said it was “sad” to see Wednesday’s report from The Athletic speculating on Doris Burke’s future in ESPN’s top NBA broadcasting booth before the 2025 NBA Finals tipped off.

News broke on Wednesday that Doris Burke's future as a broadcaster at ESPN is not secure.  On Thursday, ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle sung the praises of the broadcaster as someone who has "changed the game" and inspired women in and out of the sports broadcasting industry.

As ESPN broadcaster Doris Burke's future on the network's top NBA broadcasts is in flux, she has a fierce defender in Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. Burke's work broadcasting the Oklahoma City Thunder in particular has come under fire as of late after she referred to MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a "free-throw merchant" on the air.