The Oklahoma City Thunder received their rings. The new-look Houston Rockets were in town. The NBA was back on NBC. Cue the music.

From Michael Jordan to Mike Tirico and Roundball Rock, NBC showed the impact it will have on NBA games this season.

1. After a 23-year hiatus, NBC gets back in the NBA business starting tonight with a doubleheader featuring the Thunder at the Rockets at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Warriors at the Lakers at 10 p.m. ET. NBC, which aired the NBA from 1990 to 2002, is entering Year 1 of an 11-year deal with the league.

The NBA on NBC returned Tuesday night with an opening day tip-off between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets. The game's broadcast began with an intro fans had been waiting for as the NBC's classic John Tesh composed 'NBA on NBC' theme began playing and fans began reacting on X.

The NBA has returned to NBC. What are current players' favorite memories on the network? Well, most weren't born yet.

Ranking NBA's broadcast teams for 2025-26, from ESPN to NBC and Amazon Prime originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Some things will change, and others will remain the same as the 2025-26 NBA season begins.

Despite the shuffling, not much will change for Sixers fans. Sixty nine of the team’s 82 games will air on NBC Sports Philadelphia (seven on NBC Sports Philadelphia+), with Kate Scott and Alaa Abdelnaby back to call all the action.