Malika Andrews replacing Mike Greenberg as ESPN’s NBA Finals host
The skyrocketing career of Malika Andrews continues as she is becoming the new host of the NBA Finals for ESPN, The Post has learned.
Andrews, 28, will succeed Mike Greenberg, who hosted the marquee shows for the past two years.
Greenberg was brought in to stabilize “NBA Countdown” after the fiasco with Maria Taylor and Rachel Nichols.
ESPN’s top NBA coverage has been overhauled as, besides the Andrews’ move, Mike Breen will be joined by Doris Burke and Doc Rivers on the lead play-by-play team.
Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson were both let go.
Greenberg and ESPN came to the mutual agreement for him to leave “Countdown” because of his busy schedule.
He hosts “Get Up” on TV and “Greeny” on ESPN Radio, which air daily on weekdays.
Greenberg also does the first day of the NFL Draft.
Andrews will continue as the host of “NBA Today” as her impressive rise to power at the network moves to a new stage.
During the NBA bubble in 2020, she emerged as ESPN’s on-site reporter in Orlando.
When Taylor and Nichols departed the network, it opened the door for Andrews.
She was first on the NBA Finals sideline, replacing Nichols, then took Nichols’ daily NBA show hosting duties, and now has Taylor’s lead “NBA Countdown” job after Greenberg.
Andrews has hosted “Countdown” over the past two years, but not the prime-time editions and not the prestigious NBA Finals pregame show.
Besides Greenberg leaving, Jalen Rose, who writes a column and has a podcast for The Post, was let go as part of ESPN’s layoffs in late June.
The rest of the top show consists of Stephen A. Smith and Michael Wilbon with a third member likely to be added for the new year.
Adrian Wojnarowski is the program’s insider.
