According to a report by Andrew Marchand of The New York Post (via NBACentral), lifelong NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy has been let go by ESPN.
The 61-year-old had been with the network for the past 16 years, forming an iconic trio with Mark Jackson and Mike Breen.
BREAKING: ESPN has let go Jeff Van Gundy, per @AndrewMarchand pic.twitter.com/7s2mbBqnbx
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 30, 2023
The sports broadcast giant let go of 20 on-air personalities on Friday morning, and the former NBA coach was one of the casualties.
According to The Post, Disney and ESPN are looking to eliminate 7,000 jobs, with those making a million-plus being the most likely candidates.
And even though Van Gundy’s salary was undisclosed, he was reportedly making way north of that right now.
The former coach was a mainstay in the booth, and he’ll be mostly remembered for his constant criticism of the officiating and the league as a whole.
Even so, his knowledge of the game was second to none when it came to on-air analysts, and he should be remembered as one of the best in his craft.
Notably, the report also cites that ESPN will look to replace Van Gundy on its No. 1 broadcast team, with Richard Jefferson, Doris Burke, and JJ Redick as the likeliest candidates to take his spot.
They also mention Doc Rivers as a potential replacement, especially considering his close relationship with Mike Breen.
However, once again, it’ll all depend on his financial pretensions, as the only point in letting Van Gundy go was to cut back expenses, so that one seems like a bit of a long shot.
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