John Tesh Unveils New Version Of ‘Roundball Rock’ Ahead Of Return Of ‘NBA On NBC’

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It appears Inside the NBA is on the verge of extinction due to the media rights shakeup that led to the league partnering with Amazon for the first time while welcoming NBC back into the fold, but we’ve been treated to a solid consolation prize now that legendary composer John Tesh has whipped up a new version of “Roundball Rock.”

Earlier this year, NBC dropped $2.5 billion to revive a partnership with the NBA that previously lasted from 1990 to 2002—an era defined by “Roundball Rock,” the absolute banger that John Tesh dreamed up while he was staying at a hotel in Europe before leaving himself a voicemail that led to the creation of the NBA on NBC anthem.

The song (which inspired a fantastic Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Tim Robinson and Jason Sudeikis) was eventually sampled by Nelly and has occasionally popped up on Fox Sports college basketball broadcasts since the network acquired the rights in 2018 (although I think most basketball fans would agree it just doesn’t hit the same in that context).

In May, Tesh confirmed NBC had reached out to him about securing the license to “Roundball Rock” as it prepares to officially resurrect the NBA on NBC in 2025, and he said he was gearing up to rerecord the theme in order to make sure it’s perfect when it makes it grand return.

The original recording of “Roundball Rock” featured a full orchestra responsible for its signature strings and booming brass, but on Thursday, Dan Le Batard and Co. shared the new “shredded” version Tesh sent their way defined by the gnarly guitar riffs that still manage to capture its epic essence.

It’s unclear if that version of “Roundball Rock” will be a prominent part of the NBA on NBC production package (it seems more likely it will be harnessed as an alternative to an updated version of the original), but I’m just glad it’s coming back into our lives in some form.