Long before tip-off, anticipation around the NBA All-Star Game 2026 is beginning to build through sound as much as spectacle, with one familiar musical presence set to shape the atmosphere inside the arena.
The return of John Tesh adds a layer of nostalgia tied to decades of basketball broadcasts, reconnecting the modern showcase with a theme that helped define how generations remember the sport on television.
What unfolds in those opening moments is expected to bridge past and present, turning a simple pregame ritual into a shared memory that resonates well beyond the first possession.
What song will John Tesh perform?
The pregame spotlight at the NBA All-Star Game 2026 will belong to John Tesh, who is set to perform his iconic theme Roundball Rock live as part of the Sunday introduction. The moment reconnects the modern showcase with a sound that once defined basketball television for an entire generation.
John Tesh speaks onstage during the Let us Entertain You – Broadcasting LIVE panel in 2016 (Source: D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Advertising Week New York)
Best known as the signature music of NBC’s NBA coverage from 1990 to 2002, the composition now returns alongside the network’s renewed partnership with the league. This performance also marks the first time the piece will be played live inside a sports arena, transforming a familiar broadcast anthem into an in-arena experience.
Music shapes the entire weekend’s presentation. On Saturday, Ludacris is scheduled to headline the entertainment leading into the dunk contest, while Sunday’s pregame ceremony will feature national anthem performances from Brandy and Sarah McLachlan.
Together, those appearances frame a celebration that blends nostalgia, star power and the league’s latest broadcast era on platforms including Peacock, according to the NBA.
