Evolution of NBA National Broadcast Intros (1970s)

[@matrixkernel]

1973 had the best intro. They ought to do a retro broadcast one day with announcers wearing the yellow jackets.

[@billny33]

I don't know who sung that theme song but I always crack up thinking it sounds like if raspy-voiced Bill Russell tried to sing. He was a broadcaster. It is possible they said "we don't have time to get an actual singer, hey Bill can you sing this real quick?" just not very likely. Plus I think he was with CBS but not sure about ABC.

[@tperk]

It was rare - if not non-existent - to have a vocalist singing the intro to a sports broadcast in 1973. And while it might sound weak and corny now, 50 years ago it was hip and cool.

[@garyeisenberg745]

But, none of these themes evokes memories like the theme from '83 to '89 on CBS.

[@dmichael100]

All depends on your age, I'm sure.

[@garyeisenberg745]

Best themes in my opinion, from this era: (1) '74 - '75 "you see the best in basketball..."; (2) '77 - appropriate for the disco era; (3) '73 - time out, for the NBA game of the week!

[@brianarbenz1329]

Very nostalgic. That was a great decade for basketball. That 1976 intro was before game five of the finals. That would be a triple overtime game that was the most exciting and dramatic game ever played. So many uncanny turnabouts in luck in that game.

[@brianarbenz1329]

And I LOVE those ABC lyrics from '73: _Sit back and do something nice for yourself. Sharing the feeling with somebody else._ That's pure '70s warm and fuzzy good time!

[@entertainmentsportsandmore5783]

From between 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973 it was the NBA on ABC. From 1974 to 1979.. its the NBA on CBS..

[@Jiltedin2007]

It’s not just the 1970’s, even back in the 1960’s NBA Basketball was on ABC Television.

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

ABC Sports did NBA games from 1964-73.

[@tperk]

The sponsorship roll call during these intros bring it all back for me

[@johnm8096]

Game 5 of the 76 finals was the greatest game ever played.

[@kevinmadden1645]

The seventh game of the 1970 finals was broadcast on delayed tape after the 11:00 news( eastern time).

[@steveprestegard5151]

10:54 CBS Radio Sports used this as bumper music. I think I heard they first on a baseball film.

[@inthelowpost]

Nice work!

[@slawrence999]

CBS intro to ABA playoff games. Early 1970's. That would be cool to see.

[@milanlazich8984]

A couple of the titles mistakenly say it was Warriors vs. Bullets when it was really Buffalo Braves vs. Bullets. Yes, I always liked the CBS intro, "Best in basketball when you watch the NBA."

[@MichaelSIngle-gn9qz]

ELP's "Tank" being used for 1979's intro.

[@doylelonigan9295]

The give it all you got, take your very best shot and may the best team win, NBA on CBS theme was my favorite.

[@johnm8096]

Agreed

[@kevbomevbo3492]

The action at 4:16 was used in the 1975 intro at 7:23.

[@vamoscruceros]

The Buffalo Braves are today's Los Angeles Clippers, not the Golden State Warriors.

[@johnmanier7968]

The Warriors originated in Philadelphia, moved to San Francisco in 1962, and were renamed the Golden State Warriors in 1971. The Buffalo Braves were founded in 1978, moved to San Diego and became the Clippers in 1978, and moved to LA in 1984.

[@MrPiraka123]

Thanks

[@dmmartinez9]

The voice of Keith Jackson on ABC Sports.

[@gpwerner]

The first clip started with Chris Schenkel.

[@toddfrank3344]

I miss Keith Jackson.

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

Keith Jackson is best known for doing college football on ABC Sports, but he was the play-by-play voice for the first season of "Monday Night Football", "Monday Night Baseball" during the mid-1970s and NBA Basketball.

[@DanStrayer]

1979 seems like a dystopian sci-fi film that’s trying to reprogram me.

[@91dodgespiritrt]

What song are they playing during the 1975 Eastern Semis?

[@Seanpatf66]

Last Night by The Mar Keys

[@SodaPopinski2014]

What? If that is the actual theme from 1974 then the synths are wayyy ahead of their time 😮

[@dustylover100]

I loved the 1973 theme.

[@dancingdog60]

Who's the blonde at 10:13? LOL!

[@USMC-cv5sd]

Lol, the 1975 Eastern semi-finals wasn't the Warriors vs. Bullets.

[@Jiltedin2007]

It’s good to see NBA Basketball back on ABC Television again today(In 2022).

[@marcschneider4845]

What the hell was Rick Barry wearing?

[@saralemirande3504]

Rick Barry was wearing a lesure suit

[@johnm8096]

And a bad hair piece.

[@brianarbenz1329]

He was heading for a disco after the game!

[@wanderer34]

10:47 Didn't NFL Films use this same theme? What's the name of the theme? It would've been a better theme had my 76ers made it to the NBA Finals... 11:49 this is the worst out of all the themes. CBS could do much better than that!!! Sounds like something that came out the late 60's and was rejected by the music producers!!!

[@johnmanier7968]

The theme at 10:47 is called “Capital City” by Brian Bennett, and was used by NFL Films among others.

[@MichaelSIngle-gn9qz]

79's theme was the song "Tank" from Emerson, Lake and Palmer's debut album from 1971.

[@wanderer34]

@@MichaelSIngle-gn9qz Thanks for the info!

[@paulks2339]

The Big E !!

[@elwin38]

The '79 NBA finals intro was the worst. I hated that psychedelic, cheesy intro!!👎🏾🤮

[@jamessollazzo4860]

nba was so bad in the late 70's

[@saralemirande3504]

No it wasn't. The NBA in the 70s had 8 different champions. The 70s wasn't only about the Celtics and the Showtime Lakers or Magic Johnson

[@jamessollazzo4860]

@@saralemirande3504 game 6 in 1979-80 between lakers and sixers was taped delay and shown at 11:30 est, so cbs could air dallas and knots landing in their timeslots. reason being that no one was watchng the nba anymore!

[@tperk]

it's still remarkable that the NBA finals went from being dominated by the Lakers, the Bucks and the Celtics to a matchup between the Bullets and the Sonics...IN BACK TO BACK SEASONS (!)...before Bird and Magic took over.

[@jamessollazzo4860]

it really went into the shitter until magic and bird showed up. in fact i remember a tape delayed game 6 finals in 1980 because cbs wanted to show "dallas" on a friday night@@tperk

[@wanderer34]

@@jamessollazzo4860 CBS could get away with it since there was no social media and especially no internet back in those days. Imagine if the NBA Finals games was on tape delay. People would lose their cool!!!