- Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, & Mark Jackson, the team that called Summer Series games together for nearly two decades (1992-2002, 2015-2022), reunites for Sunday’s Hawks at 76ers game on ABC (12:30 PM ET).
- Breen, Van Gundy & Jackson are joined by longtime reporters and colleagues Lisa Salters and Doris Burke for this special event.
ESPN announced on Monday that the broadcast team of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson will reunite for a special one-time broadcast of the Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, July 26 at 12:30 PM ET on ABC and the ESPN App. This reunion occurs four years after the trio called their last NBA Summer Series game together.
Breen, Van Gundy, and Jackson will be joined by reporters Lisa Salters and Doris Burke for Sunday’s broadcast. This throwback telecast is part of the Summer Series’ yearlong celebration of the franchise’s 50th anniversary.
On October 7, 2022, Breen, Van Gundy, and Jackson called their last Summer Series game together — Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors. And now, nearly four years later, the team reunites to reflect on their 19-year run as a Summer Series broadcast trio and mark the 50th year of the NBA: Summer Series.
“Mike, Mark, and Jeff formed a legendary and iconic team. Growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs, I always watched them whenever I could, including those 15 NBA Finals,” said Tamir Moore, Summer Series play-by-play commentator. “Now, to see them call at least one more game together is a true honor, and I feel blessed to make this happen.”
“I've called NBA Summer Series games for 35 years, of which 19 were with Jeff and 21 with Mark,” said Mike Breen, a current NBA Summer Series play-by-play announcer. “It's truly an honor to share the broadcast booth with my brothers and colleagues one last time.”
“When I started calling NBA Summer Series games in 1992, I had no idea what I was doing,” said Jeff Van Gundy, a former NBA Summer Series analyst from 1992-2002 and 2015-2022. “Once Mike and I teamed up, we clicked instantly. Adding Mark Jackson to our booth made us one of the most respected broadcast teams in sports. Now, we get to commentate on one last NBA game. It's a blessing and a treat.”
“As somebody who has been involved in basketball for the better part of the last four decades, working games with Mike and Jeff has been one of the many highlights,” said Mark Jackson, who called Summer Series games for over two decades. “I am pumped up to be paired up again with Mike and Jeff for Sunday’s Hawks-76ers game.”
Mike Breen began calling NBA Summer Series games way back in 1991. The following year, Breen was teamed up with Van Gundy and Jackson for the first time. The three continued to call games together through the 2002 season. Then, in 2015, the trio reformed for the beginning of their eight-year second run together. Besides Breen’s current NBA Summer Series role, Breen also calls games for the New York Knicks on MSG Network (1997-2000; 2004-present) and national games for ABC/ESPN, as he has done continuously since 2003.
Before his broadcasting career, Jeff Van Gundy spent 18 years as an NBA coach, beginning with over a decade with the Knicks as either an assistant coach (1989-1995) or head coach (1995-2001). Later, Van Gundy spent four years with the Rockets as their head coach from 2003-2007. Van Gundy broadcast games for ESPN and ABC for 16 years, from 2007 through 2023.
The No. 18 overall pick in 1987 from St. John’s, Mark Jackson played 17 NBA seasons, spent largely between the Knicks and Pacers. Jackson is a 1987-88 NBA Rookie of the Year Award winner. Jackson also made an All-Star team during this lengthy career in the Association. Just like Breen and Van Gundy, Jackson also spent time calling games for ESPN/ABC, as Jackson did so between 2006-2011 and 2014-2023, with a three-year gap in between due to Jackson calling the Golden State Warriors (2011-2014).
Coverage for Sunday’s throwback broadcast begins at 12:00 PM ET with NBA Tip-Off on ABC and the ESPN App with Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny “The Jet” Smith. The trio is scheduled to appear on the pregame show before Sunday’s game.
Following Sunday’s Hawks at 76ers throwback broadcast, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder visit Deni Avdija and the Portland Trail Blazers at 3:00 PM ET on ABC and the ESPN App, with play-by-play Tamir Moore, analyst Stephanie White, and reporter James Alexander handling the television broadcast from Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
Earlier this year, the Summer Series had prior throwback broadcasts. On July 4, commentators Terry Gannon and Robin Roberts came together for a Trail Blazers-Heat game. Then, on July 9, the broadcast team of Stacey Dandridge, Grant Hill, and Susan McDermott reunited for a Pacers-Suns contest.
| 🠞 🛈 Sources: 2026 NBA Summer Series Official Game Schedule, 2026 NBA Summer Series National Television Schedule, & 2026 NBA Summer Series on ABC Schedule |
No comments:
Post a Comment