--- title: "NBC Using AI to Bring Beloved NBA Narrator Jim Fagan Back From the Grave" description: "Jim Fagan's iconic voice defined NBA promos throughout the 1990s and early 2000s — and now, NBC is bringing that voice back from the dead." date: "2025-05-06" modified: "2025-05-06" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/nbc-jim-fagan-ai-voice" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "ai voice" - "nba" - "nbc" - "voice cloning" --- # NBC Using AI to Bring Beloved NBA Narrator Jim Fagan Back From the Grave ![Jim Fagan's iconic voice defined NBA promos throughout the 1990s and early 2000s — and now, NBC is bringing that voice back from the dead.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* The late [Jim Fagan's iconic voice]() defined National Basketball Association (NBA) promos throughout the 1990s and early 2000s — and now, *NBC* is bringing that voice back from the dead using AI. In a [press release](), the broadcaster announced that it's teaming up with the family of the beloved sports narrator, who [died from complications]() related to Parkinson's disease in 2017, to clone his voice for new coverage, promotions, and title sequences when basketball season resumes in October. Fagan's voice became synonymous with the NBA — and, before that, [with wrestling]() — decades ago. In its statement, *NBC* attempted to pay homage to the narrator's ubiquity. "For many basketball fans, Jim’s unique and recognizable voice immediately conjures a deep sense of nostalgia for a special time in NBA history," Rick Cordella, the president of *NBC Sports*, said in the press release. "His voice perfectly captured the magnitude of the heavyweight matchups and stars that he was introducing." In this case, at least *NBC* [got permission]() from Fagan's family to use his voice to, essentially, generate money for the network. "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 the statement. "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." Be that as it may, sports fans themselves aren't nearly as keen on the gambit as the late narrator's kin. "There’s something really unsettling and bleak about using AI to recreate the past like this," one [user on the r/NBA subreddit]() opined. Another Redditor pointed out, rightfully, that *NBC* had already deployed AI voice synthesis when using a recreation of fellow famed sportscaster Al Michaels — who is, notably, still alive — [during last year's Summer Olympics](). "It’s where we’re headed," [that same user remarked](). "It’s where we’re already at actually." In the case of [Michaels]() as with [Fagan](), both AI voice recreations do sound quite sophisticated and lifelike when [compared]() to the [real thing]() — but as with most AI simulacra, they leave a hollow, uncanny feeling in their wake. **More on AI voices:** [*World's Largest Call Center Deploys AI to "Neutralize the Accent" of Indian Employees*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()