Show notes
On the latest episode of the Rex Chapman Show with Josh Hopkins, Rex is joined by Mike Breen, who has been in the building for so many classic NBA moments, for both the Knicks plus ABC and ESPN. Whether it was Steph Curry's record-breaking 3-pointer at Madison Square Garden, or one of the 16 NBA Finals Mike has been there for, he shares his life and best moments with Rex.
6:30 - Rex remembers when Mike first started calling the games for the Knicks and wondering who that one young guy was that was sitting in the booth next to all the old guys.
8:45 - How Mike has bonded with Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson over the last few decades after they all grew up with the New York Knicks and have since been in the booth together for ESPN.
11:00 - It's never been about "dealing with Mark and Jeff". Mike says it's a shared passion for the game and respect for their wealth of knowledge that makes broadcasting with them so fun. Basketball is a team sport and basketball broadcasting certainly is too.
14:20 - Growing up one of 6 boys, and with a father who was an avid sports fan, there was no shot Mike wouldn't be playing sports. There's a poster of Walt Frazier that went up on his childhood bedroom wall 50 years ago that still hangs to this day.
17:00 - Mike discusses why Knicks fans are so passionate, and the difference between the fans growing up with the Championship Knicks of the 70's and the Ewing led team of the 90's that made a pair of Finals appearances.
20:00 - How long was it after Breen called "BANG" before it took on a life of its own? Mike didn't like to use his trademark call on the radio, but finally found it worked best on TV. Of course, Breen first shouted BANG when he was still in the student section at Fordham.
22:15 - Mike details who his favorite broadcasters are across sports, and why Marv Albert will always serve as his inspiration and his biggest influence as a basketball broadcaster.
25:00 - How Mike went from idolizing Clyde and then having the ability to broadcast games with Walt Frazier.
30:20 - When the Knicks are on the doorstep of greatness, how does the lifelong fan keep himself from hyperventilating when he could make the call for a Knicks Championship. In 1994, Mike wasn't sure if John Starks was about to clinch the Championship if it weren't for the fingertips of Hakeem Olajuwon.
30:00 - One of the most iconic Knicks of all-time, and how impactful Patrick Ewing is to the city of New York. Mike details how their friendship has blossomed over the last three decades and is proud of how he's always been such a wonderful person.
32:00 - Mike says the most fun he's ever had broadcasting were during the two weeks of Linsanity. What Jeremy Lin did as a role player, becoming one of the most recognizable players on the planet was so improbable and how he handled himself was something Mike will never forget.
34:00 - How special it was when Steph Curry broke the 3-point record and everything came to a halt at Madison Square Garden? Mike says with the type of person he is and how he's changed the game created a type of moment usually reserved for when teams make the NBA Finals.
39:00 - Mike draws on his experience calling the NBA Finals, and other than the Knicks, he thinks Ray Allen's 3-pointer against the Spurs, or the LeBron James chasedown block for Cleveland's title were the two most impactful he's called.
48:45 - LeBron James has gone above and beyond the high expectations that were place on him as a high schooler, and Mike says he takes a backseat to no one, with how his teams, in this era, are always in championship contention.
46:30 - As COVID concerns continue to affect the NBA, Mike details what it took for the 2020 season to conclude in the bubble. As Mike put it, fans are the oxygen in sports, so not having them made it so hard to make it feel like an authentic experience.
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