BROADCAST icon Doris Burke is ready to make TV history.
The NBA Hall of Famer will become the first woman to call a men’s sports major on U.S. airwaves.
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Burke will join former NBA star JJ Redick and Mike Breen when the Dallas Mavericks face the Boston Celtics in the upcoming ABC Finals.
Before his landmark appearance, Burke appeared in Rich Eisen’s programwhere she revealed how much this opportunity meant to her.
Asked if the gravity of the situation had already hit her, Burke jokingly thanked Eisen “for making me more nervous than I already am.”
She admitted that the situation was “significant” for her, noting that “there is no doubt that this feeling did not occur to me.
“Obviously, what could be better for me if somehow this task helped women in some way?
“There couldn’t be anything more significant.”
Burke took the opportunity to thank her fellow trailblazers such as Jackie MacMullan, Candace Parker and Caitlin Cooper.
“If this helps, I’m thrilled,” she said.
But despite the scale of the situation, Burke’s focus remains on providing the public with the best coverage he can.
“What I’ve been doing my whole career is, what’s the next game I’m going to play?” she explained.
“And how can I be better prepared and hopefully bring viewers closer to the game I love?
“I know how lucky I am to be sitting there. And it’s funny, anyone calling their first game in the Finals is going to be nervous; there’s no doubt.
“So I’m going to try to put that thought aside because that would be overwhelming.”
Burke also praised her co-announcers, who she described as “extraordinary gentlemen.”
“JJ Redick has been a phenomenal teammate. Mike Breen is the master of the position,” she said.
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As for the Finals, Burke said he believes that for Boston to win, they need center Kristaps Porzingis back in the lineup.
The Latvian star last played on April 29 and has since dealt with a soleus strain.
Fortunately for Celtics fans, “All signs point to [Porzingis] being available in Game 1,” according to ESPN Sebastian Christensen.
The series will begin on Thursday, June 6th at 8:30 pm ET at the TD Garden.
If the series reaches seven games, the decision will be made on June 23, in Boston.
Just three days later, the NBA Draft will be held at Barclays Center.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
