John Tesh talks return of ‘Roundball Rock’: ‘I can’t wait for it to come back’

When it was officially announced in May that “Roundball Rock” would return as the theme of the NBA on NBC reboot for the 2025-26 NBA season and beyond, there was a near-unanimous rejoicing from the basketball community. But perhaps nobody is more excited about the news than the original composer of the song, John Tesh.

Tesh has several claims to fame professionally across numerous industries, including a role in media as a former host of Entertainment Tonight and serving as a sports broadcaster on CBS and NBC, covering a variety of events.

But when it comes to his career as a music composer, his claim to fame undoubtedly comes from the creation of “Roundball Rock” in 1990.

During a recent conversation with TMZ, Tesh explained how the recent news of the return of “Roundball Rock” on NBC’s NBA coverage has made him work on several variations of his hit song.

“I am so excited,” said Tesh. “Rick Cordella, the President of NBC Sports, has done that deal. And it’s great, we’re doing all kinds of different mixes. It’s fun for me. I mean, the song is 30 years old. So, I can’t wait for it to come back. And if I had a keyboard, I would play it for you.

“I basically write sports music. It’s what I have done for years. I’m working on a sports album right now,” Tesh continued.”This one, I think it was the nostalgia thing during the Showtime era. You see it online, people saying, ‘I remember I was eight years old when I saw this thing.’ I had no idea it would come back like this, but I’m enjoying the ride.”

#John Tesh tells #TMZSports he’s fired up for the return of “Roundball Rock” to #NBC this year. #Exclusive story HERE: https://t.co/3U5kyGs8oE pic.twitter.com/Naiu1cdeyQ

— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) July 7, 2025

Tesh then went into detail about the mixes he has been working on and how different they are from the original “Roundball Rock”. However, based on the feedback he has received, the original song appears to be what most desire to hear.

“I went to Nashville and re-recorded it with an orchestra at Ocean Wave. And when I started talking about it and playing clips on podcasts, people said, ‘No, no, no, we only want the OG version.’ So I think the original version is going to last forever,” Tesh said.

We have seen, on countless occasions in sports media, that nostalgia sells.

So even if Tesh’s work creating new mixes of the original “Roundball Rock” doesn’t end up sticking, it seems as if both he and basketball fans around the country are excited to see the timeless song return to prominence next season.