The NBA playoffs are a wild time. Tensions run high, narratives shift every quarter, and fans watch games with hearts racing and their prickling Twitter fingers ready. But lately, it’s not just the players facing the heat—it’s the people on the mic. ESPN’s lead commentary team, featuring Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson, has found itself under fire, and fans aren’t exactly being subtle about it.

It started with a moment. Monday evening, Game 4 of the playoff series of the Knicks game, Doris Burke said the word “Knickerbockers” in a way that made a lot of people jerk. You probably already know why. It was one of those situations where context and pronunciation collided in a slightly unfortunate way. And just like that, the conversation shifted—from the players to the booth.

But this wasn’t a one-time thing. Over the past few weeks, the commentary around the commentary has gotten louder. A fan tweeted, “Richard Jefferson and Doris make my ears bleed. Waste Mike Breen’s greatness.”  And honestly, that sentiment has been echoed across the board. Because right then, another said, “Idk who is worse to listen to: him, Doris Burke or Windy. All certified Knicks haters and guaranteed to make your ears bleed.”  

Though ironically, some others accuse Burke of being too into the Knicks. During the Celtics-Knicks series, one fan joked,  “ESPN is going to come back from halftime and Doris Burke is going to have a Jalen Brunson jersey on.” So which one is it? Knicks hater or Knicks fangirl? 

That confusion itself seems to be part of the problem. Viewers are picking up on moments that feel off, biased, or overly focused on certain narratives. Like during a Thunder game, someone complained, “Doris Burke only speaks negatively about the Nuggets and positively about Shai. I wish she would shut the f* up.” Even minor in-game analysis hasn’t escaped criticism. In an OKC matchup, one tweet pointed out:  “What Doris Burke is intentionally ignoring is Alex Caruso is guarding him because refs won’t call fouls on a smaller defender.” At this point, it’s not just about one or two bad takes. It’s more. 

 It’s a common mood.  Fans are frustrated. Another wrote, “I can’t stand Doris Burke.” And one more added, 
“ESPN broadcast was awful. Richard Jefferson and Doris Burke are very bad.”

But why is the backlash suddenly so intense? Both Burke and Jefferson have solid careers. Doris has broken ground as one of the first women to do national NBA commentary full-time. RJ has the championship ring and the charisma. So why does it feel like the booth is falling apart?

That’s where the second part of the story comes in—because these two didn’t just arrive on their own. 

ESPN under fire for the firing of Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson

Burke and Jefferson were brought in to replace a duo that had been part of the NBA’s soundscape for years— Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. That transition, especially the way it was handled, is what really soured fans. Plus, the departure of wasn’t exactly smooth. For all their quirks, they had a chemistry people were used to. It was familiar. Reliable. And in a time when fans were already feeling overwhelmed by major, unexpected league changes, the shake-up in the booth felt like just another thing being taken away from them. 

Now, the burden of filling that gap has landed on Burke and Jefferson. They’re not just trying to do their job—they’re trying to meet sky-high expectations from a fanbase that is quick to react and slow to forgive. So maybe, some of this backlash isn’t even personal. Maybe it’s about ESPN. Fans still haven’t moved on. 

A fan wrote:  “I miss Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson so much. Doris Burke and RJ are B-team at best.” Another added,  “How do we go from Jeff Van Gundy to Doris Burke?”m And then there’s this one:  “I’ll never forgive the NBA for taking away Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson for… Doris Burke. #NBAPlayoffs”  Honestly, if that doesn’t sound like heartbreak, what does?

And the thing is, Van Gundy wasn’t ready to be done either. The 63-year-old veteran opened up about it on The Lowe Post, saying: “I think whenever you get let go of a job, the sting is — and it’s happened to me before in coaching — the sting stays there.” And it clearly does. Not just for him—but for fans, too.

To make things even messier, Van Gundy reportedly turned down multiple coaching opportunities to stay in broadcasting. According to The New York Post, he was approached by Brad Stevens about a possible consulting role with the Celtics after his ESPN exit, and almost took it. “We had talked about everything… G-League, coaching, a lot of different things.”, he shared. 

So yeah—this wasn’t just some random job switch. It is a big, confusing shift that left a hole in the ESPN broadcast booth. A hole that, no matter how good they are, Burke and Jefferson were never really going to fill. As one fan summed it up: “Mike Breen is the best of the best. But these NBA playoff broadcasts aren’t the same without Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. In fact, ESPN’s NBA playoff presentation overall sucks now. Also, I hate Nikola Jokic.”  (Okay, that last part was unrelated. But the emotion? Very real.)

So here we are. Burke and Jefferson are doing their best, but the booth still feels off. It’s not just about bad calls or weird phrasing. It’s about losing the familiar voices we trusted in big moments. And maybe, just maybe, ESPN underestimated how much it actually mattered.

That’s basketball. And that’s broadcasting.