Mike Breen might not believe in the announcer jinx, but that doesn’t mean he wants to feel the wrath of NBA fans who do.
With the New York Knicks leading the Chicago Bulls 70-65 early in the third quarter Sunday night, All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns went to the free-throw line. And after Towns hit the first shot, play-by-play voice Mike Breen felt reluctantly compelled to reveal the Knicks’ perfect percentage from the line.
Mike Breen and Alan Hahn discuss whether the announcer’s jinx is real or not with the Knicks perfect from the free throw line pic.twitter.com/fSjlERGnWQ
— r/nba_highlights (@rNBAHighlights) November 3, 2025
“I know I’m gonna take abuse,” Breen told his MSG broadcast partner Alan Hahn. “But the Knicks are perfect from the free-throw line right now, they’re 14-14. But that’s my job, I’m supposed to say what they’re shooting from the free-throw line!”
Hahn defended Breen for doing his job, noting he doesn’t believe in the announcer jinx. To which Breen quickly said he doesn’t either, although that didn’t keep him from still being a little nervous about saying the Knicks were perfect while Towns was at the line.
And as Towns swished his second shot to keep the streak alive, Breen offered an audible sigh of relief as he was able to successfully avoid being accused of an announcer jinx. Because even though Breen and Hahn don’t believe in announcer jinxes, he definitely would have heard it from the fans if Towns clanked that free throw off the rim.
Announcer jinxes are some of the easiest content because they guaranteed to get some sort of reaction out of fans. Take a look through Awful Announcing’s archives and you’ll find Jason Benetti, Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Joe Davis among those who were accused of delivering an announcer jinx in the last month. But one name you won’t see too often is Mike Breen. Maybe being an announcer jinx denier is a stronger omen than the announcer jinx.