Mike Breen Reflects on Near Quit from Broadcasting Career: ‘I Can’t Do This Anymore’

Mike Breen, the prominent NBA play-by-play announcer for ESPN/ABC and the New York Knicks, is set to make his mark once again as the Knicks face off against the winner of the Spurs-Thunder series in the NBA Finals next week. Despite his acclaimed career, the 65-year-old reveals that he once contemplated leaving the industry entirely.

In a recent profile by Andrew Marchand in The Athletic, Breen shares insights from his early journey in broadcasting. He began his career as a college student at Fordham University, where he was welcomed into the WFUV radio station by classmate Michael Kay, a figure well-known in sports media.

Following his graduation, Breen took on various roles in television and radio, eventually landing a position as the play-by-play announcer for the Marist Red Foxes basketball team in 1985. Nonetheless, after missing out on the Villanova basketball play-by-play job a few years later, he found himself feeling disheartened. “I was thinking, ‘I can’t do this anymore,’” Breen recalled. He even considered a career shift, telling his father, a steam fitter, that he might apply to join the steam fitter union for more stable income.

Fortunately for Breen, his father urged him to stick with broadcasting, reminding him that he had committed to the field for five years and still had two and a half years left to fulfill that promise. Just six months later, Breen's career took a turn for the better when he was offered a position at WNBC Radio, leading to opportunities that included filling in for prominent hosts and eventually becoming the Knicks’ radio play-by-play announcer in 1992.

Since then, Breen has established himself as a beloved figure in NBA broadcasting, known for his professionalism and amiable nature. His contributions have consistently placed the Knicks' broadcast team at the top of local NBA rankings, further solidifying his status as one of the sport's leading voices.