Mike Breen Sends Support to Lisa Salters During NBA Finals Absence
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During Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, ESPN's Mike Breen took a moment to share a heartfelt message of support for his colleague, Lisa Salters. Salters, a top sideline reporter for ESPN, was absent from the game due to a family matter involving her mother's health.
Breen, part of ESPN’s lead NBA broadcast team with Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson, expressed his well wishes in the third quarter. "Jorge is with us today, but we’re thinking of our dear friend and colleague, Lisa Salters," Breen began. "Lisa’s mom has been dealing with some serious health issues for a while now, so we want to send our love to Lisa and her mom. Although we’ve never met her mom, we owe her a debt of gratitude for giving us the gift of Lisa Salters, who is the teammate everyone in our business should strive to have."
Jorge Sedano filled in for Salters for Game 2. Prior to the game, reports surfaced that Salters, 59, would be missing the matchup in Oklahoma City due to the personal matter.
Adding to the personal challenges, Stephanie White, head coach of the Indiana Fever and Salters' partner, also missed the Fever's game against the Chicago Sky on Saturday due to what the Indianapolis Star described as a family emergency. Assistant coach Austin Kelly took over head coaching duties for that game.
Fever player DeWanna Bonner commented on the situation before their win. "I really want to win for Steph, she’s going through a tough time with her family right now," Bonner said. "We want to rally together and get this one for her, but it’s also Austin’s first time at the helm, so it’s double-duty right now."
Lisa Salters has been a prominent figure at ESPN for 25 years, joining their NBA coverage in 2005 and taking on sideline duties for “Monday Night Football” in 2012. She also served as a sideline reporter for ABC’s college football broadcasts from 2006 to 2010.
Salters and White reside in Nashville and have four sons. Game 3 of the Thunder-Pacers series is scheduled for Wednesday night in Indianapolis.