‘Roundball Rock,’ the NBA anthem written by John Tesh and popularized during the NBA on NBC from 1990-2002, will return to NBC when the network begins broadcasting games next season as part of the NBA’s new TV deal.
NBC announced the renewed partnership with Tesh and the song Saturday during its coverage of the Kentucky Derby.
“It’s a thrill to announce that ‘Roundball Rock’ is coming home,” NBC Sports president Rick Cordella said in a news release. “ ‘Roundball Rock’ is one of the greatest pieces of theme music in sports history. Hearing it immediately conjures images of NBC Sports’ coverage of one of the golden ages of the NBA, from Magic (Johnson) to Michael (Jordan) to Kobe (Bryant) and many others. It was a pleasure working with John Tesh to bring ‘Roundball Rock’ back to NBC, and we’re equally excited to hear its debut on Peacock. We couldn’t imagine beginning our coverage any other way.”
Said Tesh: “I’m truly honored to be back with my friends at NBC Sports. From our first meeting, Rick Cordella had a powerful vision for bringing ‘Roundball Rock’ back to its one true home. Along with millions of other fans, I’ll be front row center for the epic launch in the fall.”
The idea for ‘Roundball Rock’ came to Tesh in the middle of the night, and without a recorder to remember the song, he left a voice mail of himself doing the song a capella.