BREAKING: ESPN has let go Jalen Rose, per @nypost pic.twitter.com/8mby04vmBn
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 30, 2023
How did Jalen Rose and Jeff Van Gundy start their media careers?
Jalen Rose retired from the NBA in 2007 after a 13-year playing career. Rose was an adept point guard for a multitude of teams but was never able to reach the star level of a player. Before his retirement, he did work as a sideline reporter for TNT only for the 2006 NBA playoffs. Rose got his first proper broadcasting opportunity in 2012 when he became an analyst on SportsCenter and a host for NBA Countdown.
Rose then started a fruitful partnership with ESPN in which he became a highly respected analyst, regularly appearing on famous shows such as First Take, and was even given his daily program known as Jalen and Jacoby.
He quickly became popular due to his evident hands-on basketball knowledge as well as his experiences as someone coming from a hard background. Jalen was laid off by ESPN just today in a surprising move and there is no doubt that he will be sorely missed on air with his crystal clear takes.
BREAKING: ESPN has let go Jeff Van Gundy, per @AndrewMarchand pic.twitter.com/7s2mbBqnbx
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 30, 2023
Jeff Van Gundy had somewhat of a similar situation to Rose with, however, much more tenure working for the news giant. Van Gundy has been an NBA analyst for ESPN since 2007 and has regularly covered the NBA Finals along with Mike Breen and Mark Jackson. He is also a former NBA head coach, spending 13 seasons with the New York Knicks but only being able to lead them to one final in 1999.
Jeff who is now 61 years old had been with ESPN for a 16 years as a part of the broadcasting company’s most famous game-calling trio. JJ Reddick, Richard Jefferson, and Doris Burke are the leading candidates to replace Van Gundy’s position.
ESPN ended its press release with the statement, “This is an extremely challenging process, involving individuals who have had a tremendous impact on our company. These difficult decisions, based more on overall efficiency than merit, will help us meet our financial targets and ensure future growth.”
Whatever their reason, the NBA community is sure to feel the effects of the loss of these 20 luminaries, we can only hope that their replacements can live up to the standard they have worked so hard to set.