“It’s over! It’s over! Knick fans, this is not a dream! Your long, long wait has ended! Go ahead and cry! After 53 years, the Knicks are finally NBA champions once again!” – Mike Breen at the end of Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals on ABC.ESPN announcer Mike Breen’s definitive line, “Go ahead and cry!” was the culmination of conversations that led up to that inspired touch on the 2026 New York Knicks’ championship.The words were from the scores of chats Breen had over the last few years with Knick fans, and his patented excitement was aided by advice from one of the most prominent championship voices of this generation.“The cry line was from all the fans that I’ve talked to,” Breen told The Athletic. “It started the last three or four seasons when there was hope that this team might actually win a championship. They all said the same thing. ‘If that ever happens, I’m going to cry.’ They all said it. I figured that is a good time to let them know, ‘It’s OK to cry.’ That’s where it came from.”Breen, 65, has called Knicks games for more than three decades and has been the voice of the NBA Finals for a record 21 years. The two roles, though, had never collided until now.Not many announcers could relate to the scenario, as the combination of calling the top events and being closely associated with a local team is rare. Joe Buck, who followed his father into the St. Louis Cardinals booth, has called 24 World Series and six Super Bowls.In 2006, when the Cardinals won the World Series, Buck felt his call on Fox was flat as he said, “For the first time since 1982, St. Louis has a World Series winner.” He listened to outside voices accusing him of being biased for his hometown team, and in his estimation, he went too far to prove those critics wrong.