Mike Breen Reaches Milestone 100th NBA Finals Broadcast
Mike Breen, the dean of television announcers for the NBA Finals, is about to enter rarified air space as he reaches his 100th NBA Finals broadcast in Game 5 of the Denver-Miami series on Monday night. He has now become the third basketball announcer on radio or television to reach this mark, and he is honoured to have done so.
Joe Buck did 135 World Series games for Fox and Mike “Doc” Emrick was at the mic for 110 Stanley Cup Final contests on ESPN, Versus, NBC and NBCSN. When including radio, Breen is the third to reach 100 NBA Finals games, joining legendary Lakers voice Chick Hearn (121) and Boston’s Johnny Most (103). In baseball, Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully had 126 World Series games on radio and television.
Breen’s History and Career
Breen’s rise to prominence began in 1991 when he was hired as the New York Knicks radio announcer before he shifted to the television seven years later. He did some games for NBC for five seasons and then joined ESPN in 2003. Breen was under contract to NBC for one more year after it lost the NBA rights. He joined ESPN in 2003 and became the top NBA voice in 2006 after Mike Tirico shifted to “Monday Night Football.”
Before they came to ABC/ESPN, Breen had a rapport with Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy from their days with the Knicks. To have that comfort level on the air and knowing and trusting that your partners, whatever you throw at them, they’re going to be able to deal with and handle makes my job so much easier.
His job has been more difficult this year as his family’s Long Island home was completely destroyed by fire last October. Nevertheless, he continues to receive support from family, friends, and colleagues.
The Longevity Test
The ultimate longevity test for an announcer is reaching the century mark in baseball, hockey, or basketball. Before Breen’s run, CBS’ Dick Stockton and NBC’s Marv Albert shared the TV record with nine finals.
This is the 21st consecutive NBA Finals for ABC/ESPN. Before ABC/ESPN took over the broadcast rights, the finals were on NBC for 12 seasons (1991-2002) and 17 on CBS (1974-90).
Breen’s first NBA Finals in 2006 was also the first appearance for the Miami Heat. It is the seventh time Breen has called a championship series involving the Heat. Breen called the ’06 finals with Hubie Brown, but the last 17 have been with Jeff Van Gundy at his side. Add in Mark Jackson, and it is the 15th time the trio has worked the NBA Finals together.
Conclusion
Mike Breen’s 100 NBA Finals broadcast is a significant milestone in his career, becoming the third basketball announcer on radio or television to reach 100 NBA Finals games. His broadcasting career goes beyond basketball, having worked with Fox and ESPN, covering other significant events like the Stanley Cup Finals and the World Series. Despite facing personal challenges like the destruction of his family’s Long Island home by fire, Breen is still well-supported by his family, friends, and colleagues.
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