Doris Burke. Seriously, just hearing her name, you can practically smell the arena popcorn and hear the squeak of sneakers on that shiny hardwood, can’t you? Doris is basketball for so many of us. A true legend in the form of a woman who didn’t just politely ask for a seat at the NBA’s old boys’ club of commentary – she kicked the damn door open and redecorated the whole place, and basically owns it now.

And because we’re all a little obsessed with the lives of the icons we admire, the question that always seems to pop up, especially after one of her perfectly timed, witty on-air moments, is: what’s the deal with Doris Burke’s personal life? Is she married? Who’s the lucky person getting her expert analysis over breakfast?

Is Doris Burke married? What’s her relationship status?

Alright, for everyone out there trying to read the tea leaves or zoom in on Doris’s ring finger during broadcasts, here’s the lowdown: Doris Burke is currently living her best single life. However, she was married. Her ex-husband is a gentleman named Gregg Burke, and – surprise, surprise – he’s also a lifer in the sports world. It seems the game really does recognize the game. They had a significant chapter together, a whole marriage, but like many stories, that chapter eventually came to a close. They officially divorced back in 2012.

Since then, Doris has been all about her incredible career and family. She’s notoriously private about her current romantic life, and in an age where everyone overshares every tiny detail, you kind of have to applaud that. What we do see, loud and clear, is an incredibly successful, independent woman who is at the absolute peak of her profession. And honestly? That’s a relationship status we can all get behind.

But just because she’s divorced doesn’t mean she can’t have a little fun with it, right? Doris proved that with what has to be one of the most legendary on-air zingers in sports broadcasting history. So, picture this, okay: it’s 2020, she’s calling a Pelicans-Grizzlies game, and after absolutely nailing a prediction, she turns to her broadcast partner, Mark Jones, and with that signature, cool-as-a-cucumber delivery, drops this iconic line: “I do like being right. Ask my ex-husband.” It was just a chef’s kiss – a real, human, hilariously relatable moment that showed Doris has a killer sense of humor, even when it comes to her own past. That’s our Doris.

Who is Doris Burke’s ex-husband, Gregg Burke? What does he do?

So, who is this Gregg Burke? He’s not just some random guy who faded into obscurity. Gregg Burke has actually carved out a pretty impressive and dedicated career in the world of college athletics himself. For the last twenty years–yeah, two decades, which is basically an eternity in coaching–Gregg has been the Head Golf Coach at the University of Rhode Island.

His journey through the sports world is pretty interesting. He’s a Rhode Island native, born in Warwick. He got his degree from Holy Cross, then did the rounds – a Graduate Assistant at Boston College, a gig in Sports Information at the powerhouse University of Michigan – before landing back at Holy Cross as the Sports Information Director.

Then came Providence College, where he was the Associate AD. And that’s a key spot, because Providence is where his and Doris’s worlds likely first collided. He even went back to get his Master’s in Education from Providence in 1998. Before settling in at URI for the long haul, he even had a stint as a VP for the International Basketball League. So, while Doris is the name every NBA fan knows and reveres, Gregg has been making his own quiet contributions to the sports world for a long, long time.

 Do Doris Burke and Gregg Burke have kids together? 

Yes, absolutely! And this is clearly the part of their shared story that still shines brightest for both of them, the part that really matters. During their 17-year marriage, Doris and Gregg had two children together: a son, Matthew, and a daughter, Sarah. You can just tell from the rare glimpses we get and the way they both carry themselves that their kids are their universe. And the family joy just keeps on expanding – Doris is now a grandmother! Vanity Fair let that little tidbit slip, and it just adds another wonderful layer to her already incredible life story. Who doesn’t love a cool grandma who also happens to be a basketball genius?

There’s this fantastic story, one that The Hartford Courant shared, that really shows you what they were like as a team, even when life was throwing those crazy parent curveballs. When their son Matthew was just a little guy, he took a tumble in the family basement and ended up needing stitches. So, Doris and Gregg do what any parent would – they rush him to the hospital, probably a total mess of worry. They get back home, exhausted and stressed, only to find 16 – sixteen! – voicemails. Turns out, one of the announcers for a Providence men’s basketball game was a no-show, and they were desperately trying to get Doris to fill in, with basically zero notice!

Gregg described it as pure, unadulterated chaos: “[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.'” He said they both showered, raced down to the arena with only 55 minutes to spare, and Doris, having not prepped for either team, just had to wing it after a quick 10-minute chat with each side. And then, the punchline from a clearly proud then-husband? “She nailed it.” Of course, she did. It’s Doris Freakin’ Burke! That story just perfectly captures her grit, her natural talent, her ability to shine even when things are completely bonkers.

And what’s really cool, what really speaks volumes about them as people, is that even after their divorce, that support for each other, especially when it comes to their family and their careers, seems to have stayed strong. On June 7, 2024, as Doris was about to make even more history calling the NBA Finals, Gregg posted this awesome photo of them together. They were looking genuinely happy, reportedly at one of their kids’ weddings. His caption was all love and support: “Tonight some will root for Dallas and some will root for Boston. I will root for the mother of my children. This is your time DB!”

We live in a world where exes often seem to be at war, seeing that kind of mutual respect and genuine friendship? That’s pretty special. It shows that even though their romantic chapter closed, their family story and their support for each other as co-parents and individuals are still very much alive and well.