‘Roundball Rock’ Rebounds on NBA on NBC: John Tesh’s Iconic Jingle Returns
Look, I don’t want to admit that a three-decade-old horn riff can still burrow into your brain and refuse to leave, but here we are. John Tesh—the very same guy you credit for peppering your memories of 1990s hardwood battles with ear-bleeding excitement—is gearing up to unleash his “Roundball Rock” theme on NBA on NBC broadcasts this October, and he’s almost uncharacteristically hyped about it.
This tune practically defined NBC’s NBA coverage back when Michael Jordan was breaking ankles and drooling defenders, only to vanish after the network lost broadcast rights in 2002. Now, thanks to NBC’s new multi-year pact with Commissioner Adam Silver’s league (announced earlier this year in a joint press release from NBC Sports and the NBA), the iconic melody is making a triumphant comeback on both traditional airwaves and Peacock’s streaming platform. Cue nostalgic tears.
During an exclusive TMZ Sports sit-down in Los Angeles last week, Tesh admitted he’s been tinkering with remixes but swears the original arrangement is still the reigning champion. “It’s fun for me,” he grumbled—okay, he actually sounded thrilled—“the song is 30 years old. So, I can’t wait for it to come back, and if I had a keyboard, I’d play it for you!” He might’ve left out a disclaimer about licensing fees, but that’s showbiz.
For anyone who ever punched the rewind button on a VHS recording of a triple-header, you’ll appreciate the obvious: bringing back the theme is pure marketing genius. NBC is rolling out prime-time doubleheaders and marquee matchups, banking on instant recognition to drive viewer eyeballs right back to Must-See NBA. Peacock subscribers get simultaneous access, a fact the network hammered home on its official blog and during its upfront presentation earlier this spring.
I told you so when I warned the suits that nostalgia is billion-dollar glue. Your social feeds will soon be flooded with memes attributing every buzzer-beater to that ascending horn blast. And let’s not pretend people won’t sing along. If hearing that riff doesn’t make you start dribbling down your hallway, check your pulse.
So, mark October on your calendar—right between pumpkin spice mania and Halloween costumes—because nothing says “sweater weather” like a basketball anthem from yesteryear. Expect promos teasing “the return of the sound that changed basketball forever,” courtesy of TMZ Sports and NBC Sports’ own announcements.
And that, dear reader, is why we can’t have nice things without a killer soundtrack. Stay tuned for tip-offs, theme-drop teasers, and the inevitable wave of “where has this been all my life?” chatter.—I’m looking at you, nostalgia junkies.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ Sports, NBC Sports
Attribution: NBC (Creative Commons)
