NBC is dusting off “Roundball Rock” for its coverage of NBA games.
The network, one of the three broadcast entities that agreed to an 11-year, $77 billion deal to air NBA games beginning next season, made the announcement about its basketball anthem on Saturday.
It was during a commercial break in NBC’s coverage of the Kentucky Derby that the network brought the song out of mothballs and played it. And for fans of a certain age, the “da-da-da-dada-dadadadadada” tune was unmistakable.
The ad featured NBA superstars Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, along with a variety of personalities from NBC shows and its news and sports divisions, humming along. It closed with composer John Tesh at the keyboards.
“Roundball Rock” aired on the network’s NBA coverage from 1990 to 2002 until ESPN captured the NBA media rights that belonged to NBC. The sound will be played on NBA coverage on both NBC and Peacock.
“I’m truly honored to be back with my friends at NBC Sports,” Tesh said in a statement. “From our first meeting, (NBC Sports president) 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.”
