Five questions for Mike Breen, the voice of the NBA Finals

Media

By Chad Finn, The Boston Globe

June 3, 2024 | 5:59 p.m.

When the Celtics and Mavericks (finally) tip off the 2024 NBA Finals on Thursday night, ESPN/ABC play-by-play voice Mike Breen will be on the call, alongside analysts Doris Burke and JJ Redick .

We caught up with Breen on Monday to talk about calling 100-plus Finals games, how the Celtics are evolving, his famous catchphrase and much more.

Q. This is your 19th consecutive NBA Finals, the most play-by-play votes ever announced in a row, and Thursday’s opener will be your 101st Finals game. Have you ever taken a moment to appreciate the magnitude of these accomplishments?

A. It’s still a little impossible for me to believe it. I grew up watching the NBA. Watching the Knicks as a kid and watching the Lakers and Celtics in the 80s when I was in my 20s and then watching Michael Jordan and the Bulls and so many great announcers throughout those eras.

Dick Stockton is, to me, one of the most underrated of all time. Brent Musberger for so long. Bob Costas, Al Michaels. Sometimes I can’t believe that not only can I do it, but that being able to do it for this long is beyond my wildest dreams.

And then of course, Marv (Albert), who is the best who has ever done it. Marv was my man and I’m far from alone there. In New York, if you had any interest in the profession, you took so much from him. The one who inspired you.

In my opinion, he is the greatest basketball voice of all time. My mother might think differently, but I’m not sure.

Q. You faced a tough situation in February when Doc Rivers left to take the Bucks coaching job, and JJ was elevated to join you and Doris on the No. 1 team. That must have posed some challenges, especially since it was your first year with one of them after working so long with Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson (who were let go after last season).

A. It’s a challenge. I had Jeff and Mark for so long that we could finish each other’s sentences. So any time you’re working with someone new in the booth, but especially when it’s a three-person booth, it’s a lot more difficult. I don’t want to use the word difficult. We broadcast basketball games.

But the challenge is to get everyone on the same page and get everyone in rhythm. When Doris and Doc started after a few games, we were so encouraged because we thought, “OK, this is going to be really good,” and then Doc, of course, gets this great opportunity to coach the Bucks, and it’s left. he leaves. I have had more changes in one year than in the last 18 years.

Q. How would you say things have gone since JJ joined the booth?

A. I don’t want to sound condescending, but I’m so proud of both of them, how hard they worked. JJ didn’t play his first game with us until the last Saturday in February, I think. So to be able to pick up a rhythm and chemistry in such a short period of time is a lot to ask of anyone. It takes a long time to get there.

Doris and JJ have two really important things in common. They have great respect for each other. And they both have this love affair with basketball. It’s a love story that lasts a lifetime. You can just tell when they’re talking about the game, if they’re on the air, or if we’re driving to the arena or airport.

Q. You’ve seen a lot of the Celtics over the last few years, with their six appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals in eight years and their trip to the Finals in 2022. Have you noticed a change in them – a growth or an evolution – over this period, especially since their final defeat against the Warriors two years ago?

A. This year is absolutely different than two years ago, because there is no longer – and especially with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown – there is no desire to prove how good they are individually. Their only goal is to prove that they can win a title.

It was really cool to watch. They’re reminiscent, I think, of the 2008 Celtics from the standpoint of no one really cares who’s going for 30, they’re just looking to make the right play.

I remember one of my first years in the league, Hall of Famer Isaiah Thomas told me that young players defined their game by the number of points they scored. But then, after playing, seeing what it means to win, and learning from the veterans, you realize that’s not what it’s about.

Q. We now have data on everything basketball-related, including how many times you said your signature “bang!” » calling a big shot to the next level with not one but two “bangs”. You erupted when Jaylen Brown tied the game at 3 in Game 1 against the Pacers, only the seventh time you’ve gone for the “Bang!” …slam!” call. Does it come instinctively? How do I know when to use it?

A. It is actually a spontaneous reaction to a spectacular piece. And it’s usually an event that marks a quick turn of events or a winning match and one that excites me so much that I get caught up in it.

I’m 63 now, but in many ways I feel like my love of the sport and the fan in me is stronger than ever because I can be up close and personal to watch these incredible players do these incredible things . So when something happens that could win a huge game, that could completely turn around a series, or set the tone for a series, especially in the playoffs, it’s spontaneous.

When it starts to subside, I’ll know it’s time to leave. But I’ve been in love with this sport since I was little and that’s still how I feel. I can’t wait until Thursday.