In the 40-minute podcast, new ABC/ESPN NBA Finals’ game analyst Tim Legler explains how he went from a solid NBA career to a quarter century at ESPN and now the top TV job in the sport. Legler goes into how it will work with Mike Breen and Richard Jefferson, while discussing his relationship with the person he is replacing, Doris Burke, and the process.
More details below …
How did Legler receive the news that he was being promoted to the No. 1 ABC/ESPN team to call The Finals
Legler played for the Washington Bullets before they became the Wizards
ESPN EVP Tim Corrigan called him with the news
How ESPN EVP Mike McQuade and Scott Van Pelt were big fans of Legler’s
Legler won the three-point shootout in 1996 and then blew his knee out, which basically ended his career
Legler went back to school at Wharton after his 10-year playing career
Ric Bucher happened to call him to see if he would want to tryout at ESPN and longtime ESPNer Barry Sacks brought Legler in
As a player, Legler did hits with Tony Kornheiser and others
Could Legler have been Steve Kerr if Legler played with the Bulls
What the Mavericks’ leadership said to Legler that changed his life
What playing in France was like for Legler
Legler tells a tremendous story about his French coach who didn’t speak French
What ESPN told Legler when it basically only doing studio shows and not games
How he got the opportunity to call more games
How Legler handled replacing Doris Burke on the Finals’ crew
What is his relationship with Burke
What Legler has tried to maintain throughout his career that helped him reach the Finals
How will ESPN handle the amount of games that Breen, Jefferson and Legler will work
How well he knows Breen and Jefferson
After Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson were let go, in part, because they wanted to return to coaching and Doc Rivers and JJ Redick left ESPN’s top crew for top coaching, does Legler want to coach
How interested was Legler at one point in coaching
Legler dreamed of doing the Finals
What is Legler’s perception of being in the top booth without being a star
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