Late NBA on NBC Icon Jim Fagan Will Return Through AI-Generated Voice for 2025 Season

This fall, the NBA will return to NBC for the first time in more than 20 years, and the network is working hard to recall the heyday of its basketball coverage for fans. Now, that includes bringing back one of the iconic voices of the 1990s NBA on NBC era, though he's been gone for almost a decade.

NBC announced this week that it will use AI to recreate the voice of Jim Fagan, the voiceover artist whose narrations on NBA on NBC segments became an integral part of the broadcast in the 1990s. While fans of the NBA on NBC era might not know Fagan's name, his narration of pre-game segments setting up key matchups was an integral part of the drama and anticipation of the show in its heyday, and now a recreation of his voice will be part of the new era.

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NBA on NBC to recreate Jim Fagan's voiceover using AI 

“For many basketball fans, Jim’s unique and recognizable voice immediately conjures a deep sense of nostalgia for a special time in NBA history,” NBC Sports President Rick Cordella said in a press release. “His voice perfectly captured the magnitude of the heavyweight matchups and stars that he was introducing. It’s been a joy to work with Jim’s family to recreate his voice and honor his legacy. I’m excited we’re able to introduce his voice to a whole new generation of fans.”

To recreate Fagan's voice for the new era of The NBA on NBC, NBC Sports partnered with Fagan's family, and used the same voice synthesis technology used to recreate legendary broadcast Al Michaels' voice for Summer Olympics coverage in 2024. Fagan's voice will be used for "elements" of NBC's coverage beginning in October of 2025, when the NBA returns to the network for the first time since 2002. You can hear a sample of Fagan's voice in the promo video below:

“We’re deeply grateful that NBC Sports had the vision to honor our father’s legacy in such a meaningful way. He took great pride in his work with NBC Sports, especially in helping set the stage for some of the most memorable moments in NBA history. Knowing that his voice will once again be part of the game he loved — and that a new generation of fans will get to experience it — is incredibly special for our family. He would be so thrilled and proud to be a part of this. It’s been a true pleasure working with NBC Sports on this project.”

“We’re deeply grateful that NBC Sports had the vision to honor our father’s legacy in such a meaningful way," Fagan's daughters, Jana Silvia Joyce and Risa Silvia-Koonin, said in a statement. "He took great pride in his work with NBC Sports, especially in helping set the stage for some of the most memorable moments in NBA history. Knowing that his voice will once again be part of the game he loved — and that a new generation of fans will get to experience it — is incredibly special for our family. He would be so thrilled and proud to be a part of this. It’s been a true pleasure working with NBC Sports on this project.”

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In the summer of 2024, NBC announced a new agreement with the NBA for an 11-year stretch of broadcast that includes both NBA and WNBA games in the regular season and the playoffs. The agreement will include games broadcast exclusively on Peacock, as well as games broadcast on linear NBC with a Peacock simulcast. It all kicks off this October with a broadcast team that includes Jamal Crawford, Reggie Miller, and Carmelo Anthony as analysts, with play-by-play work by Noah Eagle and Mike Tirico.