Mike Breen is finally getting the NBA Finals matchup many people around New York probably thought would never happen again: the Knicks playing for a championship.
But despite spending decades as the voice of the Knicks, Breen says his approach on ABC and ESPN will remain exactly the same.
Breen gave credit to his ‘teacher’ in Marv Albert, who was NBC’s main NBA voice while also doing Knicks games.
“He called it as he would any other two teams. And that’s the way you have to approach it,” Breen said while reflecting on learning from legendary broadcaster Marv Albert. “Fans always think you’re rooting for the other team in the finals. And that’s a wonderful thing because it means the fans care so much, and that’s the beauty of it.”
Breen began calling Knicks games on radio in 1991 before moving to television in 1998.
This year marks his 21st NBA Finals assignment for ABC and ESPN, but notably, it’s the first Finals featuring New York since he became the network’s lead voice.
Even with the Knicks chasing their first title in 53 years, Breen said the challenge remains the same: call the game fairly.
Fox Sports broadcaster Joe Davis, who also handles local Los Angeles Dodgers broadcasts, shared a story about Breen reaching out to him after the Dodgers played the Mets in the 2024 NLCS.
“He reached out. It was the first time I met him, and he said, ‘I just want to let you know as a Mets fan who is looking for every mistake you might make or every sign that you’re a Dodger homer, I want to tell you how much I have appreciated how down the middle you’ve played it and how neutral you’ve been,’” Davis said. “To get that from anybody would be appreciated, but to get it from someone I respect as much as I do, Mike meant the world and that was the start of what has become a special friendship.”
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