Mike Breen has agreed to a two-year contract extension to remain the lead play-by-play announcer on the NBA for ESPN.
Breen’s deal now extends to four seasons including the current season, which puts him through the 26-27 season. The new deal for Breen is contingent on ESPN/ABC retaining the rights to the NBA.
Breen’s longtime game analyst partners, Jeff Van Gunde and Mark Jackson, were replaced by ESPN this offseason by Doris Burke and Doc Rivers.
The NBA will have special courts for their In-Season Tournament for all 30 teams using the same template. Officials initially proposed special decals on the floor similar to the Finals, but then they decided to create designs with the floor entirely painted and no traditional hardwood showing.
Christopher Arena, the NBA’s head of on-court and brand partnerships suggested: “More, more, more — bigger and bolder.”
“The biggest decision was to paint the entire court with no wood showing,” Arena told ESPN. “That was the ‘Wow.'”
The Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls are among the teams who have never used an alternate court.
“We just had to separate these games from all other games,” Arena said. “You have to turn the channel and know right away, this is different.”
