[Basketball Cheer Songs] A curated selection of tournament theme songs and energizing anthems!
Basketball’s popularity is on the rise in Japan, thanks to the national team’s strong performances at the Olympics and the excitement surrounding the professional B.League.
Japanese players shining in the NBA are also drawing a lot of attention.
Beyond cheering through the TV, many people are passionately involved in school clubs or heading to arenas to enjoy games in person.
In this article, we’ve gathered basketball-related songs: tracks you can use to cheer during games, theme songs from the domestic league and international tournaments, and opening themes from anime that feature basketball.
They’re all perfect as pump-up BGM for practice, so whether you’re a player or a fan, be sure to check them out!
- Entrance themes and chants too! Classic songs and background music that hype up NBA games [2026]
- [B.LEAGUE] A Collection of Japanese Songs That Hype Up the B.League [Theme Tracks]
- Before a match or when you feel like giving up! Cheer songs to keep you going in club activities
- Theme songs and insert songs from Slam Dunk through the years, including the theme song from the 2022 film!
- [Moving] Tear-jerking cheer song. A roundup of popular motivational anthems that resonate with the heart!
- [Exams, Club Activities, Dreams] Encouragement songs recommended for teens: Tracks to listen to when you want to do your best
- [To All Athletes] Inspirational Sports Anthems & Empowering Theme Songs
- Songs to Play Before a Match: Athlete-Approved Anthems and Pump-Up Tracks That Overflow with Power
- [Hype Songs] A must-listen for athletes and sports lovers! A curated selection of tracks that boost motivation
- [For those doing their best] A collection of motivational cheer songs
- Classic songs about school clubs. Recommended popular tracks.
- [2026] Entrance Music for Sports: Cool Western Songs and Entrance BGMs
- Entrance music for sports. Classic and popular athlete anthems.
[Basketball Cheering Songs] A curated selection of tournament theme songs and energizing cheer anthems! (111–120)
PrayEvery Little Thing
It was released in 2000 as Every Little Thing’s 13th single.
The song was used in DyDo’s “Ti-Ha” commercial and in a corporate commercial for Nippon Menard Cosmetics for the Nagoya Women’s Marathon 2017, and it reached No.
2 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.
It’s a refreshing, uplifting track that makes you feel like you can do anything.
To Hikarimiwa
Released in 2012 as miwa’s ninth single.
It was selected as the theme song for Fuji TV’s Monday 9 p.m.
drama “Rich Man, Poor Woman,” and was written after reading the script.
It reached a personal best of No.
4 on the Oricon Weekly Chart and led to her first appearance at the 64th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen—a positive, uplifting song.
ONE MORE RUN feat.NOBUEYE VDJ MASA
An anthem chosen as the official support song for the Kanagawa VANGUARDS, the team that won the Emperor’s Cup in wheelchair basketball.
Co-written by EYE VDJ MASA (Masatane Muto) and singer-songwriter NOBU, it was released in June 2023.
Its warm, powerful message and vocals stand by your side, giving you the strength to take another step even when you feel like you’re about to lose.
Singing about the importance of caring for your teammates and believing in the future, this track pairs a catchy melody with a soothing touch, making it a great pick for refreshing breaks as well.
Brighter FutureHAN-KUN
The song used for the Sun Chlorella A commercial featuring Yuta Watanabe is “Brighter Future” by HAN-KUN, a reggae artist who’s also a member of Shonan no Kaze.
It’s included on his 2020 album UNCHAINED.
The rhythmic, repetitive chorus is infectious and gets you pumped—your body just starts moving.
The track surely matches the flow of basketball, amps up the go-for-it mood, and brings the hype! The lyrics, which feel like they’re fighting alongside you to seize the future, are also empowering.
In the night sky after the rainImawano Kiyoshirō
It’s a single by RC Succession released in 1980, and it’s said to have been written about Mr.
Imawano’s beloved car, the Nissan Sunny Coupe.
As for why this song came to be used as a cheer song, it apparently started when the brass band at Mr.
Imawano’s alma mater began performing it as a tribute.
This song, which is often used in parody form, has a great groove and is perfect as a cheer anthem.
We Will Rock YouQueen
Queen, the world-famous rock band from the UK.
Their beloved anthem “We Will Rock You,” which just about everyone can hum, was included on the 1977 album News of the World.
Written by Brian May with the idea of creating a song the audience could participate in, its striking opening stomp-and-clap rhythm sets hearts pounding.
The powerful, pounding beat and Freddie Mercury’s vocals are sure to fire you up from the core.
Transcending generations, it’s often used as a sports cheer song, and it fits basketball especially well.
The way the tempo builds steadily seems to match the rising, chase-down mood of the game.
It’s truly the perfect anthem for uniting players and fans as one!
Let’s give it a tryWANIMA
Loved by many fans as an energetic cheer song, WANIMA’s “Yatte Minayo” is a perfect fit for the world of sports.
With its exhilarating guitar sound and powerful drums, this track is ideal for hyping up competitions.
It’s especially recommended when you want to boost motivation before a match.
The lyrics carry a positive, affirmative message that gives players courage and hope.
Why not use this song to strengthen your team’s unity?