The Circle of PC Basketball Greats Has a New Member: Doris Burke

The Circle of PC Basketball Greats Has a New Member: Doris Burke

I often have fun with other local and lifelong PC basketball fans when we get together and start naming who we think are the most famous and/or greatest Friar basketball legends.  The criteria are somewhat loose, and greatness may have been achieved while at PC or after.

Some of the nominees are slam dunks:  Lenny Wilkens; John Thompson; Joe Mullaney; Dave Gavitt; Ernie D; Marvin; Joe Hassett (he never saw a shot that he didn’t think he could make); Rick Pitino; Billy Donovan; Jimmy Walker; Otis Thorpe (17 NBA seasons), and, yes, Chris Clark, the original “Voice of the Friars”.

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The case can also be made for the following to be included:  Johnny Eagan; Dicky Simpkins (the only ex-Friar with 3 NBA rings, courtesy of Jordan and the Chicago Bulls; talk about being in the right place at the right time); Mike Riordan (NBA ring while with the Knicks in 1970); our own Go Local columnist Kevin Stacom, who not only achieved All American status at PC, but went on to have a successful NBA career, including an NBA ring with the Celtics, and a much longer impact as an astute NBA scout; Eric Williams, and Austin Croshere (12 NBA seasons)

And in the Auxiliary Circle of PC greats, how about the late Mayor Joseph Doorley?  Who? Without him, there wouldn’t have been a downtown Providence Civic Center (aka “The Dunk”and now “The Amp”) built in 1972.  PC might have remained a small New England Catholic school with a nice little basketball program. Think Holy Cross. Instead, since 1972 seven million fans have attended PC basketball games at the Civic Center/The Dunk/The Amp.  That’s not a typo.

It is time, however, to add a new person to the PC Basketball Circle of Greats, Doris Burke.  She is currently making sports broadcasting history as one of the analysts for the NBA finals television broadcasts.  She is teamed up with Mike Breen and former NBA star JJ Reddick.

Burke has paid her dues to be doing the NBA finals.  ABC/ESPN did not include her just because she is another pretty face, or as a ratings gimmick.  She has been in the broadcast booth doing college and professional games since 1990.  She is doing this year’s NBA finals because ABC/ESPN knows she is good.  She has called NY Knicks games, the NY Liberty games, and other WNBA games.  She was the first woman to be an analyst for Big East men’s basketball games.  She has worked at ESPN on TV and radio since 2013 as an analyst doing college and NBA games.

For those of you who are not familiar with Burke’s PC roots, she was a point guard out of New Jersey on the PC women’s basketball team in the mid-1980s.  PC Women’s basketball at the time was slightly overshadowed by the Rick Pitino era for PC men’s teams.

She achieved All-Big East status in 1986 and 1987 and was named All-American in her senior year in 1987. She is the all-time leader in assists for the PC women. The Friars’ administration recognized her status in the PC basketball world by inducting her into the PC Hall of Fame in 1999. Her first basketball broadcasting job? Announcing the PC women’s games in 1990 on the campus radio station WDOM.

While her track record is solid and provides a proven record of excellence to be chosen by ESPN/ABC to be one of the analysts for this year’s NBA finals, her choice has not escaped criticism. Not unexpected. The NBA has millions of male fans who cannot fathom a woman being able to analyze the nuances of pick and rolls or offensive charging foul calls.

With the Celtics now enjoying a 3-0 lead in games, the Dallas Mavericks fans have also been brutal to her on social media. Many of them detect a bias favoring Boston in her comments during the game.  The Mav fans have concocted a conspiracy theory that the NBA and ESPN are conspiring to allow the Celtics to win.

I have heard Doris Burke’s analysis and sideline commentary probably for over a hundred games (it’s hard to believe I have a life outside of sports). She tells it like she sees it, and I think her work in the NBA finals has been superb and even-handed. She takes players on both teams to task.

In any case, it’s hard to believe that it has taken somebody of Doris Burke’s caliber to finally sit in the broadcast booth for the NBA finals. Hats off to ABC/ESPN for finally making it happen.  And, Providence College fans need to widen the circle a bit to let Doris Burke stand next to the other Providence College basketball greats.