NBA on NBC debut reviews: The best and worst reactions to 2025-26 opening night, from Carmelo Anthony to Michael Jordan

Daniel Mader

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NBA on NBC debut reviews: The best and worst reactions to 2025-26 opening night, from Carmelo Anthony to Michael Jordan image

For the first NBA season since 2001-02, the league has returned to NBC airwaves.

It's been known for well-over a year that NBC would be back in the NBA's broadcast lineup -- but the official arrival of the "NBA on NBC" didn't come until Tuesday night, which was opening day for the 2025-26 season. While ESPN and Amazon's first broadcasts under the new rights deal remain to be seen, NBC was first in the league's spotlight.

NBA on NBC's official return -- which featured a doubleheader, the Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers -- included looks at new analysts like Carmelo Anthony, the return of its iconic "Roundball Rock" theme, and a special halftime interview with Michael Jordan.

For the most part, fans into the nostalgia of NBC's debut NBA broadcast for 2025-26. However, there were a few hiccups along the way Tuesday night and other aspects fans didn't enjoy.

Here's a full breakdown of NBC's debut broadcast for the 2025-26 NBA season, including top social media reactions to various parts of the production.

MORE: Meet the full "NBA on NBC" crew for 2025-26, from Vince Carter to Reggie Miller

NBA on NBC opening night top moments

Here were some of the key features, moments and interviews from NBC's first NBA broadcast of 2025-26.

'Roundball Rock' return

Many fans were looking forward to the return of NBC's iconic intro music, the song called "Roundball Rock." Synonymous for many fans to the iconic basketball moments of the 1990s, Tuesday marked the return of the theme.

A few hours before its broadcast began, NBC released a return video that highlighted current NBA players, the Michael Jordan and 1990s era of the "NBA on NBC," the return of the "Roundball Rock" song and more.

Some of the top NBA stars were asked what they remember about the old "NBA on NBC."

Here was the full intro to Rockets-Thunder as "Roundball Rock" played.

New analysts, broadcast crews

A large majority of NBC's new NBA crew is already well-known by sports and NBA fans, such as Reggie Miller and Grant Hill (previously at TNT) and play-by-play announcers Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle, who have covered the NFL for the network. Still, there were a few new faces.

Carmelo Anthony and Tracy McGrady made more official TV broadcast debuts on the pregame show.

Additionally, Tirico led the broadcast for Rockets-Thunder, already known for his role on NBC's "Sunday Night Football" NFL coverage. He was joined by analysts Jamal Crawford and Reggie Miller.

Here's the moment that crew got on the air:

NBC's second crew, Noah Eagle and Grant Hill, was on the Warriors-Lakers matchup. 

Audio, technical issues

It was likely that at least one new NBA media rights partner would experience early hiccups -- and it turned out, that was NBC on opening night.

On the pregame broadcast to Rockets vs. Thunder, analysts Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady joined host Maria Taylor to highlight the upcoming game and other NBA storylines. But just a few minutes into that show, audio issues struck.

The broadcast paused and blacked out for a few moments not long after it came on. The analysts also said they couldn't hear each other at one point, and static went over the broadcast for over five seconds when McGrady was talking, causing Carter to hand him a different mic. A camera also focused on McGrady a bit too long when he wasn't talking.

Here's a full look the up-and-down opening five minutes of "NBA on NBC," with multiple audio issues pregame:

New scorebug

Sports fans have paid more attention to a broadcast's unique scorebug at the bottom of their screen over the years. So, with NBC's debut NBA broadcast, that aspect of the production was certainly under some watchful eyes.

Here is the network's scorebug for NBA games:

Another cool touch from the scorebug: when players dunk the ball, the scorebug shakes a little bit at the bottom of the screen.

Pregame segment, top game moments

Before the Thunder vs. Rockets matchup, Maria Taylor interviewed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams about their relationship, banner night and more.

Taylor also hit on Gilgeous-Alexander's unique outfits:

Tirico was on the call for some huge moments in a dramatic opening game as Oklahoma City beat Houston:

Michael Jordan interview

One of the most highly anticipated features of NBC's opening night was a teased halftime interview between Mike Tirico and Michael Jordan, which was pre-recorded. The former Bulls star hasn't been very involved in media in the decades since his retirement, so his decision to work with NBC was notable. 

However, Jordan's aired interview on Tuesday night — at least the portion that NBC showed — didn't last very long, and he didn't comment much on the specifics of the NBA today. While NBC teased that Jordan would speak more about load management and other topics in the near future, on Tuesday, he mostly explained why he wanted to do the interviews with NBC.

Jordan also said that he has rarely played basketball or even shot a ball since his retirement.

“We have an obligation to pay it forward. That’s part of what this is all about," Jordan said. 

STREAM: Sign up to watch NBA games live on Peacock during 2025-26 season

NBA on NBC opening night reactions

The audio and technical issues were a rough start for NBC on Tuesday night, causing some fans to criticize the network on social media.

Still, the nostalgia hit quickly. Many enjoyed the pre-broadcast hype video NBC released, highlighting the network's 1990s era covering the league, along with the feeling the intro to the broadcast brought.

The artificial intelligence voice of Jim Fagan to say "This is the NBA on NBC" drew mixed reactions, though. 

As for the broadcast debut of Carmelo Anthony, some fans were confused as to why he wasn't wearing a suit. He opted for more of a sweatsuit in the pregame show.

Still, the reactions to the new Hill-McGrady-Carter-Anthony crew were mostly positive, despite the initial audio issues.

The Tirico-Crawford-Miller trio also seemed to be a hit, calling the first game of the evening.

Another negative aspect that likely had to do with OKC's ring night: a delayed start. New York Knicks player Josh Hart was among those who didn't like waiting for the action to start on NBC.

When it came to Jordan's interview, many fans were simply excited to see the legend back on their TVs. However, there were some questions over the extent of Tirico's actual interview with Jordan, and how much insight fans will actually get out of the former Bulls star.

As a whole, social media largely had positive reactions to NBC's debut night covering the NBA. Many found it to be a nice addition to the league's landscape, from in-depth basketball analysis to the sounds and voices of the coverage.

MORE: The story behind NBA on NBC's iconic 'Roundball Rock' theme song

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