Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart brought iconic commentator Mike Breen on their podcast, the Roommates Show. Breen has called countless memorable moments as the lead NBA broadcaster for ABC and the lead announcer for New York Knicks games for nearly two decades. Known for his trademark “Bang!” calls dating back to his time at Fordham University, Breen has mastered the art of adding extra excitement to big moments throughout his career in broadcasting.
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While on the show, the trio discussed Breen’s much rarer “double-bangs”, which have only occurred a handful of times. The 63-year-old explained that his double-bangs aren’t premeditated and are instead an honest reaction to the excitement of the moment. “And the double [bang] is when it’s just some unbelievable game, wild sequence,” Breen said.
He referenced Donte DiVincenzo’s clutch three-pointer in the playoffs against Philadelphia last season as a moment worthy of a double-bang.
Brunson and Hart took time to reminisce on some of their favorite double-bangs, including Julius Randle’s game-winner against the Miami Heat in March 2023. While Breen couldn’t recall each of his eight double-bangs, he distinctly remembers the first time he uttered the phrase following Stephen Curry’s deep-range game-winner against Oklahoma City in 2016.
While they weren’t in the NBA yet, both Brunson and Hart remembered Curry’s iconic three as their favorite double-bang moment.
While discussing Curry’s shot, Hart imitated Breen’s call in a hilariously high-pitched voice. “Bang, bang, oh what a shot by Curry,” Hart re-enacted. Breen wasn’t exactly flattered by the imitation and confirmed with the hosts that his voice didn’t actually sound like Hart’s. Brunson and Hart both confirmed that Breen sounded much better during his call.
Breen explained how the phrase came about during the Warriors’ historic run, recalling how the Thunder were the only team viewed as a threat to Golden State’s dominance. He explained how Curry actually got hurt during the first half of the contest but returned in the second half, which sparked a comeback after OKC had given themselves some separation.
It all culminated in Curry’s clutch game-winner that’s still discussed today.
Mike Breen and Stephen Curry still celebrate the first ‘double-bang’
The moment was so iconic for Curry that the two-time MVP actually has a pair of sneakers dedicated to Breen’s call. The future Hall of Famer also took the opportunity to gift the same pair of shoes to Breen nearly two years ago to celebrate the first iconic double-bang.
While his first double-bang in 2016 may be remembered as the call that started it all, Curry is the only player who has ever received two double-bangs from the longtime commentator. During a heated matchup between the Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, Curry knocked down another deep three to tie the game with just seconds remaining, prompting Breen to grace the guard with another double-bang.
Considering Curry’s laundry list of exciting plays, it’s no surprise that Steph both started Breen’s double-bang calls and also has more than anyone else.
