ESPN’s Mike Breen called games alongside Mark Jackson for 15 seasons and Jeff Van Gundy for 17 seasons.
He ended up working alongside Doc Rivers for 15 weeks.
Rivers, along with Doris Burke, replaced Jackson and Van Gundy on ESPN’s main NBA broadcasting team this season, marking a true end of an era for Breen, who said that it was “sad” to end the partnership with his former broadcasting buddies, with whom he had “something special.”
The new trio was expected to usher in a new era for the broadcaster. However, just 15 weeks into their run together, Rivers left to become the new head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks following the surprise firing of Adrian Griffin.
Breen and Burke, now a dynamic duo, called their first game without Rivers on Wednesday night. Before the matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns got underway, Breen offered up a very cheeky congrats to his former broadcasting partner.
Mike Breen and Doris Burke pay tribute to Doc Rivers, who left ESPN for the Milwaukee Bucks, with Breen quipping, "We thank him for all his many weeks of service." pic.twitter.com/spTFRFnHjN
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 25, 2024
“Our dear friend has decided that life as an NBA broadcaster is way too stressful, so he’s decided to opt for a less stressful job: an NBA head coach on a team that’s trying to win a championship,” Breen said. “We thank him for all his many weeks of service, and we wish him all the luck in the world.”
Breen added that, in all seriousness, he and Burke are “heartbroken” but excited for Rivers.
Obviously, Breen was just being playful, but “We thank him for all his many weeks of service” is a pretty good zinger.
