Musicians Common, Karriem Riggins and James Poyser Tapped to Compose NBA on Prime Music

Three-time Grammy Award-winning artist Common has collaborated with acclaimed musicians and composers Karriem Riggins and three-time Grammy Award-winner James Poyser to create the official theme music for NBA on Prime.

The composition, titled Victory (NBA on Prime Theme), captures the legacy of basketball culture and will serve as the signature sound for NBA on Prime each week beginning with the 2025-26 season. Victory will be the first national broadcast theme created for NBA coverage by three Black composers.

The theme was recorded at Ocean Way Studio in Nashville with a 60-piece orchestra under the direction of Common, Riggins and Poyser in September. Drawing from their deep personal connection to basketball and decades of experience writing award-winning music, the composers crafted a piece that reflects both the game’s historic moments and the energy of today. Victory will be featured throughout NBA on Prime programming and global telecasts, creating a distinctive sonic identity for Prime Video’s exclusive NBA coverage.

“Our NBA coverage will be a celebration of the game for fans around the world, and we believe music plays a key role in that experience,” says Amina Hussein, Executive Producer, NBA on Prime. “Our theme needed to be timeless, modern, and soulful — and that’s exactly what Common, James, and Karriem brought us. We believe their composition will become synonymous with the excitement and energy of NBA basketball on Prime Video.”

The composers crafted Victory as a dynamic, orchestral score that moves between musical styles, mirroring the different emotions of NBA basketball. To further expand its versatility for broadcast, they created two additional arrangements — a powerful rock version and a hip-hop interpretation.

“Basketball and music are two of my greatest loves,” says Common. “James, Karriem, and I wanted to create a piece of music that expresses the togetherness, soul, fun, creativity, and spirit of the NBA and what the game represents. As Black artists coming from where we come from, creating the theme song for the NBA on Prime is one of the greatest moments of my career.”

“Basketball has always been inspiring to me,” says Riggins. “The rhythm of the game, the culture around it, and the way it brings people together. Creating music that captures that spirit for NBA on Prime alongside Common and James was truly an honor.”

“To me, basketball and music speak the same language – the rhythm, the energy, the flow,” says Poyser. “That spirit inspired us in creating this theme song, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to share it with the world.”

Grammy-award winning audio engineer Manny Marroquin will mix the final score. The completed score will be introduced during NBA on Prime’s opening night doubleheader on Friday, Oct. 24. featuring the Boston Celtics at New York Knicks followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers. Victory (NBA on Prime Theme) is available to pre-save now to stream on all music platforms on Oct. 24.