Every NBA playoffs has a unique identity, a musical motion orchestrated by many moving parts. Each NBA Finals tends to have a signature moment — an incredible block, a devastating shot for a home crowd or a gigantic rally on the road to avoid a 2-0 deficit.
Basketball, as ever, is theater. In theater, you have actors, stage production, directors and the audience. You also have the orchestra. The best music provides an auditory description for our emotions that can’t possibly be described with words. You may recognize that feeling as a sports fan.
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As Denver faces Miami in this year’s NBA Finals, The Athletic’s Eric Drobny and Jason Jones broke down some of the most-heard songs during the playoffs broadcast on ESPN or ABC over the last 20 years. Some of the tracks listed here are not the theme or signature song by the broadcaster or the league. Some were just often played throughout the playoffs. Others were specifically written for the finals as the lead track for the broadcast.
You also may notice some years will have multiple songs. Those years had tracks mixed throughout the playoffs and the finals. In some cases, the songs had been published before the playoffs began and were selected as background music (many of which were several decades old). Others are covers and were specifically selected for broadcast throughout the finals.
Want to hear each track? The Athletic’s Spotify playlist below is here for you, as well!
(Editor’s note: The songs that weren’t found on Spotify have been linked under their respective year.)
2003
Justin Timberlake, “Can’t Get Enough”
Drobny: There was a time period when Timberlake ruled the world … but this was not a very good song. (I was more of a Backstreet Boys guy myself.) I do love so much of what JT has done over the years, but this particular song didn’t move the needle. It’s a little slow and boring despite coming from a Hall of Famer.
(“Can’t Get Enough” slowly disappeared from NBA broadcasts, and by the time the playoffs arrived, there was an LL Cool J song, “Spurs and Nets Goin’ to War,” which was played before each finals matchup.)
Jones: I barely had memory of it. It probably means I didn’t pay much attention to intro songs, or the song just didn’t do much for me. I’m going to say it’s the latter. Timberlake wasn’t in heavy rotation for me, and this song didn’t do anything to change that.
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NBA Finals result: Spurs beat Nets 4-2
MVP: Tim Duncan
2004
Destiny’s Child, “Lose My Breath”
Destiny’s Child (Theo Wargo / WireImage for Clear Channel Entertainment)Drobny: Especially for the later-stage Destiny’s Child era, this is a fantastic song independent of basketball. Beyoncé, Kelly and Michelle were the queens of making literally anything look cool. Also: Shout-out to Denver native Chauncey Billups!
Jones: I was born in Los Angeles. I definitely lost my breath this series. It was the end of the Shaq-Kobe era, and I had to watch the Pistons dismantle the Lakers. This song was probably the best choice of a Destiny’s Child song for the NBA — more on the pop side, not edgy and catchy.
Black Eyed Peas, “Let’s Get It Started”
Drobny: It was overplayed beyond belief during this period, and it’s one of their worst songs. Next.
Jones: Typical pop-ish theme song … but there was no way I was going to get the edgier will.i.am tracks for an NBA deal. It did the job for commercials, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard this played anywhere but on television. Never heard it while hanging out.
NBA Finals result: Pistons beat Lakers 4-1
MVP: Chauncey Billups
2005
Rob Thomas “This Is How a Heart Breaks”
Drobny: I remain absolutely stunned that Rob Thomas and Matchbox Twenty wove themselves so crucially into the fabric of 2000s popular music. When I think about matching this song with cutaways for ads during the finals, I get it. Can’t say I’d choose to play it on my own, however.
Jones: This is 100 percent not my lane, musically. Then again, this series wasn’t the lane for a lot of fans who had little interest in two teams that were fundamentally sound and played defense. I wonder how many players on either team had this playing on their iPods back then.
NBA Finals result: Spurs beat Pistons 4-3
MVP: Tim Duncan
2006
Pussycat Dolls, “Right Now”
Drobny: Give me the Latin horns. Shower me in that flute. Let us all appreciate a time when Ronny Turiaf dancing from the bench was an early meme. 10/10.
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Jones: This sounds like a song I’d hear in Miami. That reason alone makes it a good choice, even if this assignment was the first time I actually listened to the Pussycat Dolls by choice.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Runnin’ Down a Dream”
Drobny: I grew up in a Sacramento suburb where classic rock was played so much by the time I was in high school, I couldn’t stand the sound of it. With time, I’ve developed a soft spot for Tom Petty. I’m a fan of this cut. It just works, theme included.
Jones: I guess Texas needed a song, too. The title is fitting for a team chasing a championship. It just makes sense, especially with the Mavs in the finals.
NBA Finals result: Heat beat Mavs 4-2
MVP: Dwyane Wade
2007
Pussycat Dolls, “Right Now”
Drobny: It worked so well, they ran it back the following year.
Jones: Maybe this was supposed to be LeBron’s time — “Right Now” — but the Spurs said, “Nah.”
NBA Finals result: Spurs beat Cavs 4-0
MVP: Tony Parker
2008
Def Leppard and Tim McGraw, “Nine Lives”
Drobny: Astonishing what 15 years will do. Can you imagine an aging ’80s rock band and the biggest country star on the planet being the centerpiece of the NBA’s biggest event? It’s really a lot more for “Monday Night Football” than it is NBA Finals, but it does the job. It brings the energy. Not my flavor, but in context, it works.
Jones: I blame the Justin Timberlake-Janet Jackson situation from Super Bowl XXXVIII for giving us songs like this. This does not scream NBA at all, but hey, it has a broader appeal.
NBA Finals result: Celtics beat Lakers 4-2
MVP: Paul Pierce
2009
U2, “Get On Your Boots”
Drobny: “Hard pass” is an understatement.
Jones: Why? Just why? Maybe for a late night in Vegas at a club with a lot of flashing lights? I’m cool on this one.
NBA Finals result: Lakers beat Magic 4-1
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MVP: Kobe Bryant
2010
Rolling Stones, “Rip This Joint”
Drobny: Three years in a row with a pretty clear target audience in mind. No spoilers here, but looking at the rest of the list, 2010 was the dying embers of that era. I’m not a huge Stones fan, but this is one of the more memorable cuts from their seminal 1972 album “Exile on Main Street.”
Jones: The attempt to bring back fans from the ’70s and ’80s continued with this choice. Was it that Lakers-Celtics sparked nostalgia? Maybe it’s just my musical preferences don’t lead me down this road, but we could have done without this.
NBA Finals result: Lakers beat Celtics 4-3
MVP: Kobe Bryant
2011
Nicole Scherzinger and Jason Bonham, “Black Dog”
Drobny: Back to the Pussycat Dolls (part of the group, anyway): Same target audience, totally different vibe. One thing that works perfectly: The snare tone is spot on. I’ll take it, even if it still feels like there’s an element of time warp happening.
Jones: We’re off the nostalgia kick — kind of. A modern twist on a Led Zeppelin classic by using Scherzinger and Bonham. Still trying to go with the broader audience appeal, obviously, because there’s no question the NBA is a hip-hop driven league — and this is not hip-hop.
NBA Finals result: Mavericks beat Heat 4-2
MVP: Dirk Nowitzki
2012
Goodie Mob, “Fight to Win”
Drobny: March 2006 is when CeeLo Green and Gnarls Barkley (and not Goodie Mob) debuted “Crazy,” and frankly, this song was about four years too late to capitalize on The great CeeLo revival.
Jones: I like the song for the finals. (Really, anything with a fighting theme is good for sports. Fight, courage, bravery … anything like that works.) This song gets back to the kind of music the players might listen to. CeeLo’s voice is so unique that it sounds like a battle cry, so it works well.
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NBA Finals result: Heat beat Thunder 4-1
MVP: LeBron James
2013
will.i.am, “#thatPOWER”
Drobny: Classic 2013 Skrillex/music festival-inspired noise. I kind of love, though, that each of the NBA superstars did a video shoot with will.i.am and they leaned into the height thing. It’s cliché for hoops that these players tower over your average person, but I giggled several times throughout the video.
Jones: I’ve always been more of a fan of will.i.am’s work when it sounded less pop/techno. Not to say the creativity isn’t there or the music isn’t catchy, but it’s just not what I’d lean into. This certainly falls more into the mainstream will.i.am, not like his production on many rap and R&B projects. I can tolerate it to open a broadcast.
Imagine Dragons, “On Top of the World”
Jones: I get Imagine Dragons are a big deal. The title of the song seems great for competition. The lyrics even fit. But the actual song doesn’t take me to a basketball game. The song takes me to a children’s birthday party.
Drobny: Thank you for speaking for all reasonable adults on this one.
NBA Finals result: Heat beat Spurs 4-3
MVP: LeBron James
2014
Pitbull, “Timber”
Pitbull (Edgar Negrete / Clasos / LatinContent via Getty Images)Drobny: A harmonica, a Latin spin to the production and Pitbull anytime, any place. I really like Pitbull in every situation, whether the energy is low, mid or on fire. Whenever that song plays in NBA arenas, I’m the guy winning the video-screen dance contest. (OK, OK, fine … I’m at least competing.)
Jones: This reminds me how Pitbull had a hold on the music world for a while. Given that the Heat were in the finals, I’m 100 percent for the inclusion of the Miami legend being a part of the music. It wasn’t a random reach into the past.
Lenny Kravitz, “I’m a Believer”
Jones: What athlete hasn’t had some version of saying they were a believer or something like that? Kravitz has been cool for a long time, so I get why he’d be in the mix.
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Drobny: It makes me laugh to think about the hook on this song being this oddball way to coerce a casual fan into watching the NBA playoffs: “I can feel it in my bones, I’m a believer … from my head down to my toes, I’m a believer.” This must be Lenny’s ninth or 10th studio album at this point, so to Jason’s argument, he’s anointed.
NBA Finals result: Spurs beat Heat 4-1
MVP: Kawhi Leonard
2015
Black Eyed Peas, “Awesome”
Drobny: The thing you have to remember about will.i.am is that he’s similar to Diddy, Pharrell and Kanye — a producer-first talent who turned to rapping at various points for various reasons. Add in that this was made for television advertising and you end up with this, which sounds a little behind its time, even for 2015.
Jones: will.i.am makes another appearance. Of the songs from the will.i.am/Black Eyed Peas collection used for the playoffs, this is my favorite. It’s not my favorite will.i.am song, just my favorite of this bunch.
Missy Elliott, “WTF (Where They From)”
Drobny: It’s unmistakably Missy’s voice. Ditto for Pharrell. Ditto for the Neptunes production. It’s not the catchiest song of all time, but with the highlights overlaid, I’m a fan. This year also was the beginning of the Warriors–Cavaliers dual dynasty run.
Jones: What took so long to get Missy on here?! I’d be fine with Missy having a song every year. I might be a little rhythmically challenged, but Missy makes me want to get up and boogie. She is one of the most creative artists we’ve ever seen in music. Her videos are always can’t-miss viewing, and her production always is on point.
Pitbull, “Celebrate”
Jones: “Mr. 305” is back with a song that was used in the film “Madagascar.” It’s still crazy to think he was doing songs with Bun B and Fat Joe before the world caught on to his talent. He’s largely known for songs like this, but no matter what genre, he always brings a Miami flair to his music.
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Drobny: I love Bun B so much. Feb. 25, 2022: Action Bronson brings out Bun B in front of a Houston crowd during his ÑBA Leather World Tour. I realize I’m way off track here, but anytime you can connect Pitbull to Action Bronson …
NBA Finals result: Warriors beat Cavaliers 4-2
MVP: Andre Iguodala
2016
The Roots, “Champion”
Drobny: Black Thought. Questlove. The whole Roots band. Blues, soul, R&B and hip-hop. Kindly see yourself out if you don’t love this one. On paper, you might read the lyrics and think this song is unnecessarily cheesy, but it’s perfect for the finals.
Jones: Black Thought gave us lyrics more palatable for the masses with this theme for the postseason. He’s not deep into his lyrical bag, but even a scaled-back Black Thought is poignant. This proved to be the perfect song for the Cavs’ comeback from 3-1 down to beat the 73-9 Warriors and win the finals. If you’re going to give us a song just for the playoffs, it better be something like this. The Roots hit the mark with this one.
NBA Finals result: Cavs beat Warriors 4-3
MVP: LeBron James
2017
Kendrick Lamar, “Humble” and “DNA”
Jones: It’s about time the West Coast got some love (besides will.i.am). I’m ready to have the discussion that Lamar is already the GOAT (I’m sure many of you aren’t ready for that talk). These cuts are off the album “DAMN,” which is still one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. “Humble” and “DNA” hit hard from the opening note and easily get a crowd growing.
Drobny: I’m a West Coaster, as well. Four songs into one of the several nights he played at Crypto.com Arena, I internally declared that this was the final touch he needed to confirm it. Both of these songs were the biggest and most important rap songs in existence at the time, so it makes me happy to reminisce on those early summer weeks with the playoffs barreling to an admittedly expected winner.
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NBA Finals result: Warriors beat Cavaliers 4-1
MVP: Kevin Durant
2018
J. Cole, “ATM,” “Motiv8,” “Photograph” and “Brackets”
Drobny: Each of J. Cole’s albums lends perfectly to the basketball world. He’s a pretty solid hooper, so it’s clear he understands the tremendous physical difficulty involved in being an All-Star-level player. He’s also the lead producer on most of the tracks. He’s basically your DPOY as well as your MVP for 2018.
Jones: Another no-brainer. J. Cole is a hooper, frequently references basketball in his lyrics and is one of the best of his generation. I like going with one artist and using multiple songs from the same album for the second consecutive year. These songs come from “KOD” and are as hard-hitting as Kendrick’s songs from 2017, but it’s a different flow, a different vibe and it works.
NBA Finals result: Warriors beat Cavaliers 4-0
MVP: Kevin Durant
2019
Jaden Smith, “Noize”
Drobny: Interesting. Much more of a poem than a song, with a hook splattered across the front of it. I do love the “I really wanna fly with you” modulated moment at the end. I, too, would love to be able to dunk from the free-throw line.
Jones: How did Jaden get included before his father? “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It” by Will Smith sounds like the kind of made-for-TV intro song that fits. Youth won out with this selection, but there was no way to get the full version of the song played. Tyler, The Creator’s verse would need that heavy radio edit.
NBA Finals result: Raptors beat Warriors 4-2
MVP: Kawhi Leonard
2020
Nipsey Hussle feat. Big Sean, “Deep Reverence”
Drobny: “Deep Reverence” was played constantly throughout these playoffs, presumably as a way to honor Nipsey, who died in March of 2019 and had a tremendous impact on the entire league. I’m a huge fan of both Nipsey and Big Sean. There’s something very special about the fiery nature of Nipsey’s voice with a little sprinkling of Big Sean’s smoothness.
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Jones: Shout-out to Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins, two NBA players I know were deep into Nipsey Hussle long before he dropped his lone studio album “Victory Lap.” His murder shook many Southern California natives, so any use of his music after his death will be looked at critically. Big Sean does justice to Nipsey’s memory on this track, and given how many NBA players loved him, this was a fitting tribute.
NBA Finals result: Lakers beat Heat 4-2
MVP: LeBron James
2021
John Legend, “You Deserve It All”
John Legend (Tommaso Boddi / Getty Images for iHeartRadio)Jones: I’m a John Legend fan. I wish we didn’t have to get a Legend song that’s a Christmas jingle. I’d rather go back into the Legend library for something like “Live It Up.” Let’s keep it soulful, not put me in the mood to want to hear Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas.”
Drobny: Spot on, Jason. This song does remind me of the greatest NBA ad ever made, though.
NBA Finals result: Bucks beat Suns 4-2
2022
John Malkovich, “Untitled”
Drobny: Another year with no discernible official song, so we’re going with the intro, which is basically John Malkovich doing his best John Malkovich with Jimmy Kimmel and the Mannings as the backdrop. I’ll say it certainly does not lack in motivational prowess. If we were forced every year to ditch the music and live purely off these inspiring montages, I’d be fine with it.
Jones: John Malkovich is a fine actor. But if we’re going to get a motivational speech from an actor, give me Joe Morton, aka Rowan aka Eli Pope from “Scandal.” Let Papa Pope bring the fire and tear down any reason to doubt your success.
NBA Finals result: Warriors beat Celtics 4-2
MVP: Stephen Curry
2023
H.E.R., “The Journey”
Drobny: A little too slow for the start of a basketball game, but maybe that’s what we all need in life. Also, I know it’s not relevant on this song, but any time you have a multi-instrumentalist R&B star front and center in this era of positionless basketball, you win.
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Jones: This song makes me want to sit back with a beverage and reflect on life. It’s a beautiful song. I understand why it would be used. But it feels too somber until later in the song. It would seem appropriate for the end of the finals with a photo montage of all the tough moments the champions had to overcome to win. I’m partial to faster music for games, so that’s my only gripe with this selection. Am I getting ready for a game or to cry?
(Illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic; photos: Gerardo Mora, Christian Petersen and Ronald Martinez / Getty Images; Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images; Samir Hussein / WireImage; Simon Ritter / Redferns)
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