Could Mike Breen Go Down As The Greatest Sports Broadcaster Ever?
Mike Breen is an absolute gem in the huge world of sports. As he nears three decades of announcing NBA Basketball, I feel it is necessary to highlight his excellence. In the sport of basketball, there have been numerous greats to have called games. There are some in the present, like Kevin Harlan. There are also some in past generations like Dick Stockton and the recently retired Marv Albert. However, there is a certain it-factor that only Breen has. He has charisma and charm that ooze off the screen. Somehow, he just has the ability to make audiences enjoy basketball as more than a sport. The feel-good factor he provides is undeniable. Whether it’s from laughing and chatting with his colleagues Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy or perfectly capturing a moment with his prose-like speech, Breen is a poet on the microphone.
A Record Setter
Breen already has one of the most impressive resumes of any sportscaster. Even if he were to retire tomorrow, he would have an incredibly strong case as being the GOAT play-by-play commentator. However, one can’t help but point to his longevity as a strength. At age 60, it’s hard to argue that he could still have decades ahead of him on NBA broadcasts. But it’s his reign at the top of the NBA that truly sets him apart. Breen has already set the record for calling the most NBA Finals series‘ but looks set to smash that record into oblivion. Love him or hate him, Breen has already established himself as the voice of basketball.
Audiences both young and old can resonate with his iconic “BANG” line for any and all major NBA moments. Furthermore, those 4 letters could also go down as the most well-known in the history of sports broadcasting. No other broadcaster has such an iconic and powerful phrase in their arsenal. While the likes of Kevin Harlan and Joe Buck have some legendary calls themselves, Breen is just incomparable. Hearing his voice on your television simply meant something important was gonna happen. Whether it was Kobe Bryant at Staples Center with the dark lighting around the lower bowl. Or LeBron James dominating in one of his numerous Finals appearances, Breen was there for all of it.
And Versatile, Too
While major NBA games on ESPN and ABC are reserved for Breen, that is not his only area of expertise. For decades, he has also teamed up with NBA legend Clyde Frazier for New York Knicks games on MSG Networks and radio broadcasts. The NYC native has even tried his hand at other sports like NFL Football and Ski Jumping during the 2002 Winter Olympics. While he is as good as they come at calling sports, Breen is also a storyteller. He seamlessly intertwines current events and news topics into his commentary. During the 2020 NBA Playoffs in “The Bubble,” Breen was sure to touch upon stories like the COVID-19 Pandemic and protests following the death of George Floyd. Simply put, Breen has everything people want to hear during a basketball game.
Mike Breen could easily go down as the GOAT sportscaster. We need to appreciate him more while he is still calling games, end of story. Fortunately, with a thrilling NBA season in full swing, we will have plenty of chances to do exactly that. Here’s to more BANGs in the coming weeks and months.
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