The theme, known as Roundball Rock, was composed by John Tesh for NBC's NBA coverage and first aired in 1990, quickly becoming the sound of Sunday basketball and the league's biggest stars. When NBC stopped showing NBA games in 2002, the music lived on through reruns, video games and online clips, where fans kept sharing it as shorthand for classic basketball. Its return with NBC's NBA broadcasts in 2025 introduced it to a new generation, keeping it a favourite for sports edits and nostalgic montages.
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The iconic NBA on NBC theme music, known as Roundball Rock, from the network's basketball broadcasts. Creators use it to open highlight reels and sports edits.
This is the instantly recognisable brass-led theme that opened NBA games on NBC, a triumphant, fast-paced fanfare built around bold trumpets, driving drums and a soaring melody that builds to a confident peak in just a few seconds. Even without any words, it signals big-game energy, nostalgia and excitement, instantly putting viewers in the mood for basketball. The short clip captures the theme at its most dramatic, making it feel larger than life, as if something important is about to happen on court, which is why it still gives sports fans goosebumps decades after its first broadcast.