NBA on NBC will bring the promo voice Jim Fagan back with AI

The NBA on NBC makes a large bet on nostalgia.

The glorious days of Jordan and the NBA on NBC make basketball fans of a certain age all possible feelings. And with his return in 2025 as part of the association's new television agreements, the network is able to re -experience it.

During the Kentucky Derby, it was finally confirmed that NBC with John Tash achieved an agreement to officially return the iconic “Roundball Rock” topic. And we know that Rick Cordella, President of NBC Sports, is interested in the introductions of the players to be part of the programs again to present a large game atmosphere.

But now the NBA on NBC goes a unique step further by providing the voice of Jim Fagan, the original promo artist who delivers the classic line “This is the NBA on NBC” before presenting the matchup of the day.

Unfortunately, Fagan died in 2017. However, the network announced on Tuesday that his family had made an agreement to use a AI -generated version of its voice to achieve the return of the package next season.

While you may not recognize his name immediately, long -time NBA fans will undoubtedly know his voice. NBC Sports announced today that it will use an a-generated voice of the former narrator Jim Fagan for elements of his NBA reporting and funding when the new NBA media law begins in October.

Fagan's voice, who died in 2017, was a synonym for the NBC Sports, celebrated by the criticism from 1990 to 2002. His masterful story drove unprecedented excitement for the greatest matchups and stars of the league, which included Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Hakeem Olajuwon.

Through a partnership with Fagan's family, NBC Sports will use the AI ​​Voice synthesis technology to recreate Fagan's voice for selected title sequences, shows and promos for its upcoming NBA reporting. This builds on the successful use of generative AI technology by NBCuniversal during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 for “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock”, which contained a restoration of the legendary sports agent Al Michaels' voice. The AI-generated voice of Fagan will complement traditional voice-over work from other artists, which were hired by NBC Sports.

Here is an original example of an NBA on NBC intro with Jim Fagan from the 1992 NBA final.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HHKQWUTZ3S

And here is the AI ​​2025 version of a Jim Fagan -Intro, which was published by NBC this week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPuCul7l1l0

This is not the first experiment by NBC with the use of AI -generated voices. During the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the network used a AI that Al Michaels Voice generated to provide customs reviews and highlights to which viewers can access on peacocks at any time.

The use of voices from the past to the story of sporting events is not entirely unusual. Derek Jeter used the iconic voice of the legendary Yankeeser Bob Shepherd, even after his death as an example. According to the NBC, other contemporary voice -over artists are used during their reporting, so it is not just the AI ​​Jim Fagan that is shown.

Your acceptance of this entire concept is likely to compensate for your preference for your preference for nostalgia and its level of comfort for the extended use of AI in modern life. But if it has happened within the reasons, thanks to the technology from the future, fans will probably be grateful for another connection to the past.