If Burke's future at ESPN really is uncertain, it would mark a significant sea change at the network that Carlisle eloquently laid out Thursday night.

As ESPN broadcaster Doris Burke's future on the network's top NBA broadcasts is in flux, she has a fierce defender in Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. Burke's work broadcasting the Oklahoma City Thunder in particular has come under fire as of late after she referred to MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a "free-throw merchant" on the air.

Rick Carlisle is a huge fan of Doris Burke and made that known before Game 1 of the NBA Finals. During his pregame press conference on Thursday, the Indiana Pacers head coach discussed the reports that Burke could lose her spot on ESPN's No.