Mark Jones bids emotional ESPN NBA broadcast farewell after 36-year tenure

Q: What is Mark Jones' new role after leaving ESPN?

Mark Jones will take on a full-time position with the Sacramento Kings after his departure from ESPN.

Q: How long did Mark Jones work for ESPN?

Mark Jones worked for ESPN for 36 years before announcing his farewell.

Q: What notable moments did Mark Jones contribute to during his career?

Mark Jones is known for coining the term 'LeBronto' and for his commentary on significant plays like Bam Adebayo's block on Jayson Tatum during the 2020 NBA Playoffs.

Mark Jones bids emotional ESPN NBA broadcast farewell after 36-year tenure originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Commentary is what brings color to the NBA. Shots which will echo throughout league history are only amplified by the fact that there are are broadcasters which willingly use their talents for the love of the game. Mark Jones is one of these people and he is set to have his final broadcast with ESPN when the Boston Celtics go up against the Orlando Magic. He got emotional and started to reminisce before bidding farewell to start his full-time work with the Sacramento Kings.

Jones gets ESPN, Inside The NBA standing ovation

An NBA fan only knows the word LeBronto because Mark Jones coined the term in the 2010s. He also gave life to Bam Adebayo's league-altering block on Jayson Tatum during the 2020 NBA Playoffs. More than that, his commentating skills have also given color to the iconic Miracle on Techwood Drive between the Florida State Seminoles and the Georgia Tech Blue Jackets.

After the game between the Magic and Celtics, he will no longer be the voice behind big games for ESPN. He got emotional during his appearance on Inside The NBA and even got a standing ovation from the crew, via SportsCenter.

"I have a very full and a very heavy heart today as I say goodbye to the only place that I have really worked in network television. I'm just thankful for all the friends that I've made along the journey, you know. They talk about it not being about the destination but the journey. My journey has been outstanding," Jones said.

ESPN has delegated Jones to cover a lot of big moments in sports history. He was part of the crew which covered the 2022 and 2011 NBA Finals. He was largely a big figure in college football in his earlier years. Prior to being a play-by-play commentator, Jones started off as a sideline reporter in 1990. A year later, the legend started off the craft that he worked on the most. This clash of the Magic and Celtics will be an end to a 35-year era in ESPN.

"I had a chance to be around some outstanding people. I started my career off working with Brent Musburger and Jim Valvano, one of my very first assignments... I had a chance to do NBA Finals and just be around some wonderful people as part of my NBA family. So as I say goodbye today, I'm having fun. I'm doing it with my partner, Doris Burke, and I could not think of a better way to go out," he added.

Jones is not yet retiring after this. He will just be leaving ESPN and joining the NBC crew to cover the Kings. So, a lot of great moments will still have his voice as the backdrop.