Source: Mitchell Leff / Getty
Mike Breen is by far, one of the premier play-by-play voices of the NBA. Breen has been calling NBA games since the 1990s, first for NBC and later for ABC/ESPN, and is the home play-by-play announcer for the New York Knicks.
Along with analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, Breen forms the lead broadcast team for the NBA Finals and other major games. He is known for his enthusiastic play-by-play style, while also providing detailed analysis and insight into the game’s nuances. Breen’s calls of classic NBA Finals moments like Ray Allen’s season-saving three in 2013 are etched in fans’ memories have cemented his legacy as a Hall of Fame broadcaster.
Breen has been admired for his ability to capture the emotion and excitement of key moments in the game with his signature “Bang!” when a player hits a big shot.
Very seldom do we get the signature Mike Breen “Bang!”, as it requires heroics that don’t happen every basketball game. But what if something supernatural happens? Something more heroic than just a ‘big shot’? Well, that’s when we get the illustrious ‘Double Bang’. Whenever we hear Mike Breen say ‘Bang!… Bang!’ We usually picture of Curry’s shot heard around the world, as that was the first time the signature saying was introduced.
How Many Times has Mike Breen used the ‘Double Bang’?
Mike Breen has only used the ‘Double Bang’ a total of five times before last night’s game 2 between the Sixers and Knicks. Donte DiVincenzo’s late game ‘go-ahead’ three pointer to lead the Knicks past Philadelphia was the catalyst for Mike Breen’s super signature.
Source: Jim McIsaac / Getty
Mike Breen talked about his play-by-play experiences on J.J. Reddick’s ‘The Old Man and the Three’ podcast, where he speaks on the Steph Curry call that changed his career.
He alludes to having an abnormal experience during this call due to the magnitude of circumstances surrounding the game including: Curry’s health, the warriors deficit, and more importantly, their win streak,
“That was an out-of-body experience — I can’t explain it, it just happened” Breen said. “He left the game with a bad ankle, they were down 12. They had this amazing winner streak, and it was all over. Then he comes back and does that at the end. So I kinda lost it on that.”
