Mike Breen doesn’t like to be thought of as the “voice of the NBA.” Unfortunately for him, a moniker like that comes along with calling nearly two decades’ worth of NBA Finals. 

His signature call, “BANG!” is well-known by fans and players across the league. For someone that doesn’t like being called the voice of the league, you can imagine how he reacted when Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy asked if “BANG!” had supplanted Marv Albert’s legendary “YES!”.

“No, I can’t say that,” Breen answered. “As somebody who looked up to Marv and worshiped the way he called the game, and the influence he had. He’ll always, for me, be the voice of the NBA.”

Mike Breen says all he needs is to know that the players and fans enjoy the catchphrase. He is going to make sure that doesn’t change.

“I love the game so much and if it adds to an excitement of a moment, then I did my job. Because that’s the whole idea –  to enhance the moment. I try not to use it too much. I never want to overdo it because then it gets tired.”

Players have responded to Breen’s catchphrase in a variety of ways. He says Jamal Murray has made a habit of hollering it back to him when the Nuggets guard sinks a three-pointer. Steph Curry even named his new signature shoe after the iconic phrase.

After making his broadcast debut Sunday afternoon on Peacock, Albert Pujols will be continuing his broadcast career with MLB Network, the league announced Monday. Pujols was named as a special assistant to Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr., a role in which he will consult the league on topics including player and international relations, and will also help grow the game. Part of Pujols’ new job will be appearing on MLB Network, where he will make his debut Tuesday morning on MLB Central and Wednesday on MLB Tonight.

“Beyond his long list of accomplishments on the field, Albert is a highly respected figure who represents the game extraordinarily well,” Manfred said in a statement. “He cares greatly about making a difference in our communities. We are excited for Albert to join other former players who are doing important work for our sport, and we will welcome his perspective across our efforts.”

Pujols retired from the game of baseball at the conclusion of last season after a storied 22-year career, culminating in hitting his 700th career home run and doing so as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. He is ninth on the all-time hits list (3,384) and finished fourth on the all-time home run list (703). Additionally, Pujols was selected as a Major League Baseball All-Star 11 times throughout his career, which included two stints with the Cardinals, 10 years with the Los Angeles Angels and a season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pujols was the 2008 recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award for demonstrating excellence on and off the field, and also won the 2022 Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award from ESPN for his charitable endeavors. He also played on the Dominican Republic’s national team during the first World Baseball Classic in 2006, and previously stated that he believed he would one day move into a coaching role.

As part of his new role on MLB Network, Pujols will be traveling to contribute to coverage for the Major League Baseball London Series – a matchup between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals – on Friday, June 23. Pujols is the latest player to join Major League Baseball, as the league employs Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., Joe Torre and CC Sabathia among other former stars.

“I couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter of my career,” Pujols said in a statement. “Commissioner Manfred and I share the same passion for growing the game in the Dominican Republic and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to join the MLB Network family. I’ve been a huge fan since the very beginning and can’t wait to get started.”

In 2024, USC and UCLA are joining the Big Ten. Those moves helped spur two huge rights contracts for the league from NBC and CBS respectively. One of those networks is getting a jump on the new properties.

Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reports that former USC quarterback Matt Cassel is joining NBC’s Big Ten crew. He will be part of the network’s new studio show that will be hosted by Maria Taylor.

Cassel is an interesting choice for college football coverage. While many know that he turned a successful season replacing the injured Tom Brady into an opportunity to become the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, his college career was less storied.

He played at USC from 2001 until 2004 and sat behind both Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart on the depth chart. Matt Cassel threw a total of 33 passes at USC. Those resulted in no touchdowns, one interception and less than 200 yards.

Matt Cassel is not the first former player added to the show. He and Taylor will be joined in studio by former Michigan linebacker Joshua Perry. NBC reportedly also wants to add future Pro Football Hall of Fame and former Wisconsin Badger JJ Watt to the team.