When it became clear earlier this year that NBC would return to the NBA business, fans became majorly excited about one thing: John Tesh’s “Roundball Rock.”
The iconic theme song was the sound of the NBA on NBC during the network’s memorable run of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls teams in the ’90s. However, NBC lost the rights to the league in 2002, and the song disappeared. It has resurfaced on Fox’s college basketball coverage in recent years, but it doesn’t have the same feel as it did during its heyday.
But in its press release announcing its deal with the NBA, NBC revealed that the song would be making its triumphant return. That announcement may have proven a bit premature, as Tesh—the song’s composer—had yet to strike a deal with the network.
Speculation has since run wild about whether or not Tesh has been “holding out,” but the composer went on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Tuesday to clear the air.
“Yeah, [NBC] released a press release saying that they got the rights to the NBA, which was amazing. And then in that, they included the fact that they were bringing ‘Roundball Rock’ back, and we hadn’t talked yet. The good news is that, because you guys were squawking about it and Watergate reporter Alex Sherman reported on it, so now we are talking,” Tesh told CNBC’s Rebecca Quick.
“I’m not holding out. NBC is my friend,” Tesh continued. “Rick Cordella, who’s now the new president of NBC Sports, is incredible. I mean, this guy he’s launching NBC Sports into a new era. And the guy has six Emmys…all I’m doing right now is- we’re going to put together something, and I’m just looking forward to working with these guys.”
After much consternation, it seems like a deal to bring “Roundball Rock” back to NBC is likely. The question now is whether it’ll be the classic version used in the ’90s or an updated version like Tesh, which debuted on The Dan Le Batard Show earlier this year.
Either way, basketball fans can rejoice. The countdown to NBC’s NBA return in 2025 is well underway.
[CNBC]
