ESPN announcer Mike Breen had some fun with Doris Burke on Tuesday night.
Breen was on the call for ESPN’s broadcast of the NBA Cup final between the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder. At the beginning of the telecast, Breen noted that Burke, who typically announces games with him, would not be on the call with him and Richard Jefferson. Breen said that Burke was not feeling well. Of course, he couldn’t resist getting in a blackjack joke either.
“Doris Burke will not be with us tonight, Doris not feeling well, and I think it’s important to state that her absence and illness has nothing to do with the amount of money she lost on the blackjack tables in recent days. The authorities need to know that,” Breen said.
Doris Burke is out sick for tonight's NBA Cup Final, and Mike Breen made sure everybody knew it wasn't because she lost too much money at the blackjack tables 💸🏀 pic.twitter.com/fEwvN3dgM9
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 18, 2024
Come on, Mike. Don’t you know that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? That’s true of losses at the tables, too.
Hopefully Burke is being comforted by Charles Barkley’s words on the subject of gambling: it’s not a problem if you can afford it. Hopefully that big ESPN money is taking care of things for Burke and ensuring it’s not actually a problem for her.
Burke has been working for ESPN since 1991. She has been a part of the network’s lead NBA announcing team along with Breen since last year.
The Bucks won the game against the Thunder 97-81 to capture the second ever NBA Cup. They didn’t go all-out in celebration though, likely because they learned a lesson from last year.
