{"id":1992359,"date":"2026-06-16T04:12:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T01:12:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1992359"},"modified":"2026-06-16T04:12:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T01:12:42","slug":"michael-jordans-world-cup-influence-the-44-year-old-nba-walkout-song-sirius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1992359","title":{"rendered":"Michael Jordan\u2019s World Cup influence? The 44-year-old NBA walkout song \u2018Sirius\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

SEATTLE \u2013 The musical accompaniment to the team walkouts at the FIFA World Cup might be a little jarring to local sports fans, especially those of a certain age who follow the NBA.<\/p>\n

As soon as I heard the music before today\u2019s game between Belgium and Egypt, I turned to my colleague Jerry Brewer, another veteran of many NBA games from the \u201990s, and we both said the same thing:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cAt guard \u2026 from NOOOORTH CAROLINA \u2026 \u201c<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

For those who haven\u2019t seen (or heard), the World Cup has been using the instrumental song \u201cSirius\u201d by the Alan Parsons Project as the teams enter the pitch.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

An unusually brief 1:48, the powerhouse from the album \u201cEye in the Sky\u201d was released by the British band in 1982, so organizers are reaching into the way-back machine to pull this one out instead of more recent fare.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a reason for that, at this North American World Cup, that might not be familiar to fans from more distant locales: \u201cSirius\u201d is indelibly tied to arguably the greatest athlete this continent ever produced, Michael Jordan, and his lineup introductions with the Chicago Bulls.<\/p>\n

\u201cSirius\u201d, for the uninitiated, was the Bulls\u2019 lineup intro music for their home games during the entire six-championship reign of Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the rest of the gang. NBA teams introduce each starter individually before games, and Jordan would always be introduced last. The other Bulls would be named during the song\u2019s one-two-three synthesizer riff interspersed with dramatic keyboard smashes, and then, just as the song hit its crescendo, then-Bulls PA announcer Ray Clay growled \u201cat guard \u2026 from Nooooorth Carolina \u2026 6\u20196\u201d \u2026 \u00a0number 23, Michaaaaaael Joooooooordan!!!!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Ironically, nobody will be hearing \u201cSirius\u201d in Chicago this summer, because the U.S.\u2019s third-largest city is one of those hosting the World Cup. It is being heard everywhere else, however, because it\u2019s the walkout music for every single game, the cue to fans that it\u2019s time to move from the beer garden to their seats.<\/p>\n

\n

a.showcase-link-container {
\n display: flex;
\n gap: 20px;
\n flex-direction: column;
\n align-items: center;
\n padding: 20px 0px;
\n border-top: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);
\n border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(150, 150, 147, 0.4);
\n text-decoration: none;
\n color: #121212;
\n cursor: pointer;<\/p>\n

.showcase-link {
\n font-family: nyt-franklin;
\n font-size: 14px;
\n font-style: normal;
\n font-weight: 700;
\n line-height: 13.8px;
\n letter-spacing: 1.1px;
\n text-transform: uppercase;
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-image {
\n border-radius: 8px;
\n object-fit: cover;
\n width: 200px;
\n height: 150px;
\n margin: 0px;
\n @media (max-width: 600px) {
\n width: 120px;
\n height: 120px;
\n }
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-inner-content {
\n display: flex;
\n flex-direction: row;
\n gap: 16px;
\n width: 100%;
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-text-content {
\n display: flex;
\n flex-direction: column;
\n gap: 20px;
\n justify-content: center;
\n @media (max-width: 600px) {
\n gap: 8px;
\n }
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-title {
\n font-family: nyt-cheltenham;
\n font-size: 24px;
\n font-style: normal;
\n font-weight: 500;
\n line-height: 120%; \/* 24px *\/
\n letter-spacing: 0.01px;
\n text-overflow: ellipsis;
\n overflow: hidden;
\n display: -webkit-box;
\n -webkit-box-orient: vertical;
\n -webkit-line-clamp: 3;
\n @media (max-width: 600px) {
\n font-size: 16px;
\n }
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-excerpt {
\n font-family: nyt-imperial;
\n font-size: 16px;
\n font-style: normal;
\n font-weight: 400;
\n line-height: 139%; \/* 19.46px *\/
\n color: #323232;
\n text-overflow: ellipsis;
\n overflow: hidden;
\n display: -webkit-box;
\n -webkit-box-orient: vertical;
\n -webkit-line-clamp: 4;
\n @media (max-width: 600px) {
\n font-size: 12px;
\n line-height: 121%;
\n }
\n }
\n}<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-inputs {
\n .showcase-link-input {
\n width: 100%;
\n font-size: 1rem;
\n background-color: white;
\n margin-bottom: 12px;
\n }<\/p>\n

.showcase-link-indent {
\n margin-left: 25px;
\n }<\/p>\n

option {
\n width: 100%;
\n }
\n}<\/p>\n

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
\n .native-mobile a.showcase-link-container {
\n background-color: #121212;
\n color: #f0f0ee;
\n .showcase-link-excerpt {
\n color: #c4c4c0;
\n }
\n }
\n}<\/p>\n

\/\/ Remove all onclicks on imgs for apps to prevent image zoom on click
\n document.querySelectorAll(‘.showcase-link-image’).forEach((img) => img.removeAttribute(‘onclick’));<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What You Should Read Next<\/div>\n
\n \"The<\/p>\n
\n
\n The Chicago mayor who said \u2018no\u2019 to the World Cup \u2013 a dome on Soldier Field was the last straw\n <\/div>\n
\n Rahm Emanuel thought the proposed deal left ‘Chicago taxpayers as the dumb money at the table’. Eight years on, he hasn’t changed his mind\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Our writers have heard it not only in Seattle, but also in Guadalajara and Vancouver and everywhere in between. They\u2019ll even hear it on Tuesday night in Santa Clara, when Austria takes on \u2026 wait for it \u2026 Jordan.<\/p>\n

Unlike last summer\u2019s Club World Cup, FIFA isn\u2019t doing lineup intros a la a basketball game, they can be unwieldy with 22 players on the pitch rather than the ten of an NBA contest, so there was no chance to hear \u201cat forward \u2026 from Liverpool \u2026 5\u20199\u201d \u2026number 10, Mooooooo Salah!!!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

However, in an effort to inject some of that big-game feel from an NBA lineup introduction to this audience, \u201cSirius\u201d is an all-timer when it comes to hyping up a crowd. In a full house almost evenly split between Belgium and Egypt supporters, it lifted the moment and set up the anticipation for game time.<\/p>\n

It also felt appropriate for a game that felt like a big deal <\/em>due to the presence of long-time legends like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Salah. Even if all are faded versions of their former selves, each heavily impacted the entertaining 1-1 tie these teams played \u2014 De Bruyne hit the post with a crackling free kick, Salah directly assisted Egypt\u2019s lone goal, and Lukaku accounted for Belgium\u2019s lone score when his run forced an own goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cSirius\u201d is just one part of the program in FIFA\u2019s build-up to kickoffs \u2014 which, it must be said, could teach the NBA a lesson by starting promptly at the listed time (today\u2019s match, scheduled for noon local time, was in full lather by 12:01). Once the players are done with the walkout, they all meet (including the subs) in the center circle<\/a> while both national anthems play. Then teams will have handshakes, pre-game photos of the starters and the coin toss before playing).<\/p>\n

\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n Jordan celebrates winning the 1992 title (Photo: Nathaniel S. Butler\/NBAE via Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cAs the FIFA World Cup grows, we continue to innovate the way the game is experienced\u201d, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a press release before the tournament.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving all players and referees face each other in the centre circle during the national anthems will create a moment of unity, pride and emotion that truly belongs to the teams and to everyone in the stadium. The FIFA World Cup is about every player and every fan, and this new pre-match ceremony reflects that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hearing the music from \u201cSirius\u201d might be an especially jarring gut punch here in Seattle, one of the cities whose hopes for an NBA title were dashed by Jordan\u2019s Chicago teams. (Once upon a time, there was a basketball team here, and the best incarnation of that Sonics squad lost the 1996 NBA finals to his Bulls in six games).<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Ironically, \u201cSirius\u201d wasn\u2019t the only locally connected blast from the past today. In the second half, a group of fans below the press box tried getting The Wave going (blessedly, they were unsuccessful). That maneuver, of course, got its start at University of Washington football games before spreading to the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL \u2026 in whose home stadium (Lumen Field, temporarily known as \u201cSeattle Stadium\u201d) Belgium and Egypt faced off today.<\/p>\n

Alas, Seattle soccer fans will have to hear \u201cSirius\u201d five more times this summer, as the city will host that many games. Battle-scarred New York fans, whom Jordan tormented numerous times as well, will also have to hear it seven more times, although they may feel a bit less touchy about it after the Knicks won their first championship in 53 years on Saturday. (Breathe easy, Utah \u2014 you\u2019re not hosting games this year).<\/p>\n

When Monday\u2019s game ended at least, locals in the crowd got to hear something a bit more in tune with the city\u2019s vibes, and somehow even older than \u201cSirius\u201d: \u00a0The exit music was \u201cPurple Haze,\u201d by local guitar legend Jimi Hendrix.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SEATTLE \u2013 The musical accompaniment to the team walkouts at the FIFA World Cup might be a little jarring to local sports fans, especially those of a certain age who follow the NBA. As soon as I heard the music before today\u2019s game between Belgium and Egypt, I turned to my colleague Jerry Brewer, another […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-1992359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1992359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1992359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1992359\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1992359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1992359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1992359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}