Latest news with #MikeBreen
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
NBA Finals: OKC vs Pacers Game 2 takes first hit from tornado warning in Oklahoma - Here's what's happening
NBA Finals: Game 2 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers was affected by a tornado warning affecting the Paycom Center area on Sunday. The game wasn't canceled, but the ABC and ESPN broadcast was shifted to remote locations, meaning broadcasters will not be at the venue for the big game. ESPN/ABC were forced to produce the broadcast remotely, according to the Athletic's Andrew Marchand. He said that Mike Breen and company will still be at the courtside. 'ESPN/ABC may have to produce Game 2 of the NBA Finals remotely because of a tornado warning in OKC. Mike Breen & company will still be commenting from the court side, but the production trucks outside the arena may not be available. ESPN would control the pictures and productions from either Bristol or LA,' Marchang posted on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. Read More: Tyrese Haliburton claps back with brutal comeback after NBA Finals heroics, sheds 'most overrated' label On Sunday, forecasters issued a tornado warning for Oklahoma City and surrounding areas, with severe thunderstorms, large hail, and possible embedded tornadoes. The warning, active during game preparations, followed a similar event on June 3 that diverted the Pacers' flight to Tulsa. Paycom Center implemented safety protocols, directing fans to shelters if needed. No reports indicate player evacuations at the moment. Oklahoma City will look to avenge the close loss in Game 1 vs the Indiana Pacers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is on the brink to reach the 3000-point mark this season, would like to get his first finals win. 'I said this so many times, I don't play for the individual stuff,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'I don't play for anything else besides winning. I never have in my whole life.' The Thunder, the NBA's top overall seed entering the playoffs after going 68-14 in the regular season, lost Game 1 to the Pacers on Thursday night 111-110. If the Pacers win Game 2, they'll likely become overwhelming favorites. The series will shift to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Friday.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS ESPN's coverage of NBA Finals thrown into chaos by tornado warning in Oklahoma City
ESPN and ABC is facing the potential of having to produce Game 2 of the NBA Finals remotely due to the lingering threat of a tornado hitting Oklahoma City. The Thunder are hosting the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night, but severe weather has left the crew scrambling for a quick solution. According to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, the broadcaster is preparing for the possibility that its production trucks outside the arena may not be available due to the adverse weather conditions. It is claimed that Disney-owned ESPN and ABC may have to control the pictures and production of the TV coverage from either Bristol or LA, with the local crew unable to work. The on-screen talent - fronted by Mike Breen - would still present the coverage from courtside at Paycom Center, but there are safety fears for those working outside the arena. Local news channels reported earlier on Sunday that the area is bracing itself for severe storms, that could bring tornadoes, large hail and 100mph wind gusts. Thousands of local residents have been ordered to take shelter, but it is expected that Game 2 of the NBA Finals will still go ahead as planned. The Indiana Pacers took the first game of the best-of-seven series on the road in stunning circumstances on Thursday, with Tyrese Haliburton sinking the game-winning bucket with just 0.3 seconds left on the clock. The Thunder were heavy betting favorites heading into the NBA Finals, but the Pacers have once again proven they will not roll over easily.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NBA Finals announcers: Who's calling Thunder-Pacers on ABC?
2025 NBA Finals announcers: Who's calling Thunder-Pacers on ABC? The 2025 NBA Finals are HERE! And we're getting what should be a really good matchup: the heavily-favored Oklahoma City Thunder against the underdog Indiana Pacers. The former won as the Seattle Supersonics in 1979 (but we're not counting that) and the Pacers have never won in the NBA despite championships in the ABA. If you're here, it means you're probably wondering: Who are the voices you're hearing calling the game you're watching on ABC? Fear not! We have the answers for you. Mike Breen will be on play-by-play. Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson will be the analysts and Lisa Salters will be reporting. Who is on NBA Countdown before the NBA Finals on ESPN? That would be Malika Andrews, Bob Myers, Kendrick Perkins, Stephen A. Smith and Shams Charania. What's the schedule for the 2025 NBA Finals? All times Eastern: Game 1: Thursday, June 5 at 8:30 p.m. Game 2: Sunday, June 8 at 8 p.m. Game 3: Wednesday, June 11 at 8:30 p.m. Game 4: Friday, June 13 at 8:30 p.m. Game 5 (if necessary): Monday, June 16 at 8:30 p.m. Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, June 19 at 8:30 p.m. Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, June 22 at 8 p.m. What channel will the NBA Finals be on? That would be ABC.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
ESPN NBA booth facing another potential shakeup with Doris Burke's spot in limbo
The 2025 NBA Finals could be the first and last for ESPN's current top broadcasting trio. The future of the booth featuring longtime play-by-play voice Mike Breen and analysts Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson is up in the air, as Burke's spot 'is not guaranteed for next season' and Jefferson is on an expiring contract, The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reported Wednesday. Jefferson has drawn interest from Amazon, the report said, ahead of its first season airing NBA games starting in the fall, though ESPN 'intends' on bringing the former Nets star back. Advertisement From left: Richard Jefferson, Doris Burke and Mike Breen during a Lakers-Timberwolves playoff broadcast on April 27, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images One factor ESPN will weigh is whether Burke would be better suited as part of a two-person or three-person broadcast crew, according to The Athletic. Burke rose to ESPN's No. 1 NBA team after the network dumped Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy following the 2023 NBA Finals. Advertisement From left: Richard Jefferson, Doris Burke and Mike Breen pose before a Thunder-Timberwolves playoff game on May 24, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images Doc Rivers, who had been fired by the 76ers, originally joined Burke and Breen, but he then left to become the Bucks' head coach in January 2024. JJ Redick replaced Rivers, but his tenure was also short-lived as he took the Lakers' head coaching job last June. Advertisement TNT just completed its final season broadcasting NBA games in the U.S., though the acclaimed 'Inside the NBA' will air on ESPN beginning next season through a licensing deal. Amazon has reached deals with Ian Eagle and Kevin Harlan to be its top play-by-players next season, while game analysts will include Stan Van Gundy, Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash. NBC will have Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle calling games, with Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford joining them as game analysts. Michael Jordan has also joined NBC as a special contributor.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
How ESPN messed up its NBA Finals TV trio, now weighs future of Doris Burke, Richard Jefferson
Back in the day, ESPN would begin The NBA Finals in triple-threat position. Play-by-player Mike Breen was ready to exclaim, 'Bang!' on the biggest baskets of the game. Jeff Van Gundy rode shotgun as perhaps the best analyst in sports with his coach's perspective. Mark Jackson would assist from the player's point of view with some catchphrases. Advertisement It was comfortable, informative and fun. Then, in a Booger Mobile-level bad decision, ESPN said 'Nah, we're good' and dumped Van Gundy and Jackson in the summer budget cuts of 2023. It didn't make sense then, and doesn't make sense now. It is relevant again, as for the second post-Van Gundy and Jackson Finals, all eyes and ears will be on another ESPN newbie team. Breen, now joined by Doris Burke and Richard Jefferson, will call their first Finals together as a trio. It may also be their only Finals together. Since ESPN fired Van Gundy and Jackson, it promoted the trailblazing Burke to the No. 1 team and hired Doc Rivers. Rivers, after promising he wouldn't return to coaching, quickly did exactly that by taking the Milwaukee Bucks' job last season, inspiring Breen, with his trademark slight chuckle, to thank Rivers 'for his many weeks of service.' ESPN next turned to JJ Redick to join Breen and Burke. The trio were not exactly scintillating, but only had months, not years, to jell. Redick then fled to coach the Lakers. Now, for these Finals, pitting the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Indiana Pacers, it is Breen, Burke and Jefferson. Next year, at this time, it very well could be a different team. While ESPN intends on re-signing Jefferson, it has not yet locked him up with his contract expiring, according to sources briefed on the talks. Amazon Prime Video has expressed some interest in Jefferson, according to the same sources. Meanwhile, Burke's spot is not guaranteed for next season, according to sources familiar with ESPN's preliminary plans. While Breen, the Basketball Hall of Famer under a long-term deal, is not going anywhere, ESPN will evaluate its entire roster. ESPN executives will debate what is next, according to sources, with one discussion likely centering around if they feel Burke is better on a two-person team as opposed to the three-person team. Advertisement ESPN's other NBA game analysts this season were Tim Legler, Jay Bilas and Cory Alexander. This new team puts Breen in the middle of trying to find the magic that he had with Van Gundy and Jackson. Breen is one of the best NBA play-by-players ever and has called the most Finals on TV, but there has been a hole in his game for two seasons. He has not made his analysts better, seemingly trying to carry more of the load, while failing to lift up his partners. While he still sounds good, he can come across like a star player wanting to run his usual half-court offense with players built to run. Breen is dominating the ball more compared to the Van Gundy and Jackson prime. It's a team game, and Breen, Burke and Jefferson lack flow. ESPN's decision-making has been odd for two years, starting with the Van Gundy and Jackson firings. The NBA never ordered a Code Red on Van Gundy, though it was well-known that the league didn't like his criticism of officials. That certainly didn't help Van Gundy, especially on the precipice of the NBA's long-term TV rights negotiations, at the end of which ESPN secured The Finals for its entire new 11-year deal. ESPN sources at the time said that part of their calculus in letting Van Gundy go was his desire to return to coaching. While Van Gundy did show interest in coming back to the sidelines again, he was back on TV next to Breen and Jackson, year after year. Following the firing of Van Gundy and Jackson, Rivers and Redick took off for coaching without even spending a full season as the network's No. 1 analyst. (After being fired by ESPN, Van Gundy did become a top assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers.) While Jefferson has shown potential and is committed to being a game analyst, ESPN passed him over for Redick last year. ESPN did not name Redick's replacement in the offseason. This year, ESPN waited and waited before finally naming Jefferson to be Breen and Burke's partner. Advertisement ESPN got this backwards. Last season, after Rivers departed around New Year's, ESPN should have done a bake-off between Redick and Jefferson to see who sounded better with Breen and Burke. Jefferson's humor actually adds another ingredient, compared to the drier Redick. Plus, Jefferson does not seem to have any desire to coach. Either way, there was no need to rush. This season, post-Redick, ESPN should have committed to Jefferson earlier, since the new trio could have done more games together to get as many reps as possible before The Finals. Burke is in the Basketball Hall of Fame, rightfully so. She was handed nothing, coming from obscurity, first working New York Liberty games on MSG Network before her rise through the ESPN ranks. She was sharp and informative. But in the three-person booth the last two years, she hasn't seemed to mesh as well with Breen. He doesn't outright ignore what she says, but they rarely build on each other's comments. ESPN has failed to create a deep game analyst bench, even resorting to college basketball expert Bilas on playoff games this season. Some top decision-makers like Legler a lot, and he could become a Finals option, according to sources briefed on the network decision-makers' thinking. Before ESPN bought Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in for 'Monday Night Football,' Breen, Van Gundy and Jackson was probably the best major game booth ESPN had. The network broke it up — and is still trying to put something even close to it together. ESPN will go into the NBA Finals with Breen, Burke and Jefferson. The trio is in their first season together, and it can take time. They are still figuring out when is the best time for each to shoot or pass or dribble. But the Finals are not the best time for learning. (Top illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
