Fire destroys North Hills home of Knicks broadcaster Mike Breen

A weekend fire in North Hills destroyed the home of Knicks broadcaster Mike Breen, fire and police officials said Thursday,

A 911 call at 4 a.m. Sunday reported the fire, said Nassau County Assistant Chief Fire Marshal James Hickman. Firefighters from the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department arrived to find the home ablaze, Hickman said.

No one was home at the time and there were no reported injuries, though police said the home was fully engulfed.

The blaze destroyed the home and everything in it, Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay said Wednesday afternoon on his ESPN radio show.

Kay described Breen as "one of my best friends in the world," who had asked him to speak on his behalf.

"Mike Breen, beloved broadcaster of the Knicks, lost his home on Sunday," Kay said. "It burned to the ground."

Breen and his wife were finishing up a vacation in California before the NBA season starts, Kay said.

"They got a call right before they were getting on a plane that something had happened in the house. … Everything destroyed. No personal memories are left," Kay said.

Breen and his wife "essentially have the clothes on their back … he is in the middle of trying to get his life together," Kay said.

Fire officials said there was damage to both the first floor and basement. Hickman said initial indications are that the fire began in the garage.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation by the fire marshal's office and Nassau Police Arson Bomb Squad detectives.

Breen, 61, grew up in Yonkers and attended Fordham University. He has called Knicks games on radio, and later television, since 1992. Since 2006, Breen has been the lead NBA play-by-play broadcaster for ABC/ESPN, including calling every NBA Finals.

“Mike is a cherished member of the ESPN family and he knows he has our full support through this excruciating circumstance,” ESPN said in a statement.

“We know the damage is devastating, and at the same time, we are grateful that he and his family are safe.”

The MSG Network, in a statement, added: “Mike and his family have all of our love and support during this very difficult time. We are so thankful that everyone is safe.”

Firefighters from Port Washington Atlantic, Plandome and Roslyn also responded to the scene, officials said.

In real estate listings, the home has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a half-bath, and in 2021 was valued somewhere between $1.725 million and $2 million.

"He considers himself absolutely blessed for the people that have reached out and asked to help, and that he as so many friends that feel so strongly about him," Kay said of Breen on his radio show. "He has gotten the messages. They mean the world to him."

With Neil Best

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”