The 2015 NBA Finals are drawing record audiences on ABC as viewers are enjoying a seesaw clash between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. Golden State leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 with a chance to clinch its first title in 40 years tonight in Cleveland in Game 6 (ABC/Watch ESPN, 9 p.m. ET). If Game 7 is necessary, it will be played Friday in Oakland, Calif. (ABC/Watch ESPN, 9 p.m. ET).
The storyteller for this series is ESPN commentator Mike Breen, who is calling his 10th NBA Finals. That’s more than any other play-by-play commentator in NBA Finals television history. Breen shared the record of nine calls with Dick Stockton and Marv Albert. Breen’s love for the game and dedication to his craft are evident on and off air, his colleagues recently told Front Row. “The first thing I think about when I think of Mike Breen is how much passion and preparation he puts into every game,” said sideline reporter Doris Burke. “When you start with passion as your base in your job, that really translates. When I watch him on the screen, whether it’s the enthusiasm in his voice, his knowledge of the rules, his storytelling as it relates to the players—everything that comes out on the air from Mike is about his passion for the NBA.”
Analysts Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and ESPN NBA senior coordinating producer Tim Corrigan also hail Breen in this Front Row post.