Mike Breen has broken his silence on the departures of Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy from ESPN's NBA coverage.
Breen thought highly of his long-time NBA on ESPN broadcast partners. He gave Jackson and Van Gundy credit for his success in the broadcasting booth, per the New York Post's Andrew Marchand.
"It's something we'll all treasure, but we just wish it was a little bit longer… They were the dream partners. All the accomplishments were because of what we did together. I really do feel personally any success I had was because I had those two guys next to me."
ESPN's Mike… pic.twitter.com/JnO094kxRZ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 2, 2023
Mike Breen considered Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson his brothers
Breen admitted on Tuesday breaking up the Jackson-Van Gundy tandem shocked and saddened him. The veteran of 18 NBA Finals behind the famous “Bang!” call on NBA broadcasts declined comment on Jackson's and Van Gundy's replacements.
ESPN is close to hiring longtime basketball commentator Doris Burke and former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers as Breen's new on-air partners.
Breen and Van Gundy worked on 17 NBA Finals together. On the other hand, Jackson missed two of those NBA Finals TV coverages because he coached the Golden State Warriors from 2011 to 2014.
The three men's friendship dates back to the 1990s when Breen worked as the New York Knicks' radio voice. Van Gundy served as an assistant coach while Jackson played point guard for the Knicks back then.
“The other part is the personal part, and that's tougher. Now, we're going to be friends until the day we die. Those guys taught me so much about what I know in the NBA. I've learned more from those two than anybody. But they've also taught me about stuff that has nothing to do with basketball,” Breen said.
ESPN laid off the 61-year-old Van Gundy on June 30. He spent 16 years with the network prior to his dismissal. Jackson followed suit after an almost 15-year tenure one month later.
Should the rumored Doris Burke-Doc Rivers rumblings fall through, the NBA on ESPN coverage will take on a brand-new look for the 2023-24 NBA season.
On that note, it will take some time for fans to get used to seeing Mike Breen without Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson working beside him.
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