The “double bang” call is perhaps the most iconic in all of NBA broadcasting right now. ESPN’s Mike Breen first unleashed two repetitions of his iconic “BANG” in 2016, and there have been just eight such calls in total.
More than an accident or a quirk, Breen thinks deeply about when and how to use his signature exclamation, including most recently when Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown sent Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals into overtime with a corner 3-point shot near the end of regulation.
In a recent interview on the Pardon My Take podcast, Breen went deep on how he deploys the “double bang” and all the attention he gets from fans online nowadays when he does use it.
“It’s completely spontaneous. I’m 63 now and I love basketball as much as I did when I was 6 and first started playing,” Breen explained. “So when I watch something and somebody does something spectacular, especially if there’s surprise, especially if it’s in a huge situation, I just kind of lose it. I’ve never planned it, it just comes out … I’d like to think that I maintain my fan love of the game and get excited when something unexpected like that happens.”
Breen described trying to describe the action in few words, instead allowing the moment in the arena breathe. Breen was inspired by Marv Albert, the iconic NBA announcer for whom he took over calling New York Knicks games on WFAN two decades ago, and the simplicity of Albert’s famous “YES” calls.
While Breen is known for the “double bang” now, he insists he uses it in less than half the games he calls.
“I think if you do it too much, it wears out its welcome. So I’ve tried to be selective not just with a double bang but even just a regular bang, for an important point in the game,” Breen said.
Breen also confirmed he has seen the meme NBA fans use as an homage to him, with his face and the caption “I’m about to say bang so MF loud.”
Asked about his favorite “double bang,” Breen went back to the origin. In 2016 as the 73-win Golden State Warriors pushed for the NBA wins record, Steph Curry pulled up from near halfcourt to sink a game-winner and also tie the league record for most 3-pointers in a game. That moment remains Breen’s favorite “double bang” while Ray Allen’s game-winning 3-pointer from Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals is Breen’s favorite regular bang.
Will Breen deliver another iconic “double bang” during this year’s NBA Finals? Only he will know.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.