Another year, another NBA Finals on ESPN, and fans are once again scratching their heads. What should be the crown jewel of the basketball calendar feels more like a midseason game with a better camera crew. The stakes are high, but the broadcast just doesn’t reflect that.
Viewers who tuned into Game 1 of the Thunder-Pacers series felt confused instead of excitement. The vibe felt off. The anthem didn’t play, the starting lineup intros didn’t happen, and barely anyone mentioned the Larry O’Brien trophy. Except for a tiny logo on screen, you’d think this was a random Friday night in January, not the Finals.
Broadcast That Doesn’t Feel Like The Finals
The broadcast booth is a major part of the issue. With the longtime trio of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson broken up after ESPN’s layoffs, there’s been no real replacement for their chemistry. Mike Breen remains the gold standard, but pairing him with Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson has felt like an awkward experiment in progress.
All three earn respect on their own, but they’re not clicking, and that creates a problem in a moment this big.The New York Post reported before the series even started that ESPN might move on from Burke after just one season. That kind of chatter doesn’t help build credibility with fans who already feel disconnected.
For reference, this one segment had more total analysis than the entire Game 1 halftime show had in 2024. https://t.co/VDtnjr0t4B pic.twitter.com/3R49WKymLi
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 6, 2025
The studio show? Same story. Stephen A. Smith continues to dominate screen time with his signature volume, while actual analysis gets squeezed between back-to-back ad breaks. ESPN gave the Game 1 halftime segment about three minutes, most of which were filled with yelling. There’s little insight, and even less effort to make the Finals feel special.
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What’s perhaps most frustrating is how easily these problems could be fixed. Fans aren’t asking for much- just the basic elements that used to set the Finals apart: the national anthem, full team introductions, and that golden trophy on the hardwood. These details matter, and their absence sends the wrong message about what’s at stake.
The issue isn’t market size. It’s messaging. The NBA and ESPN seem to be telling viewers this series doesn’t matter all that much. And judging by the response so far, fans are starting to believe them.
Also Read: The NBA & ABC Are Taking Major Heat Over Their National Anthem Decision For Game 1 Of The NBA Finals
