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.

The Indiana Pacers trailed by 12 points at halftime in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night and committed a staggering, historic 20 turnovers in the first half alone. Indiana stormed back in the final minutes and,