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Brian Windhorst
when drake explodes over the speakers a philadelphia 76ers Take practice, this is not necessarily unusual as NBA players hone their various skills.
Does this happen during a full training camp? This…is not normal at all.
But there is a reason and a person behind it.
When a Sixers player gets into the passing lane and throws a ball out of bounds, the shrill sound of an eagle tears off the top of the song.
When another 76er cuts to the weak side, receives a pass and drives to the basket, the sound of the slot machine dropping a coin echoes in the gym.
When the driving player misses a shot, one of his teammates is there for the putback. A few seconds later, the sound of breaking glass echoes in the room.
Any visitor or wandering citizen would be right to be somewhat concerned and somewhat fascinated, but the players react as if it’s business as usual.
When coach Nick Nurse walks out to the middle of the floor and raises his hands above his head, forming an “A”, suddenly Drake falls silent, replaced by the signature synth beats of the opening to Prince’s “Automatic”.
No words are spoken, a scuffle begins and the players set off in search of water.
Everyone in the gym knows it will be an eight-minute break – it’s always the extended cut – and they’ll have time to practice free throws before the music tells them what’s next.
It’s strange but Bizarrely adorable routines have become a trademark of being a Sixer: “sound awards”, music intended to send messages to players, and “audio motivational enhancements” that fill practices and souvenirs throughout the season.
The man responsible for all this takes his job seriously – and the way he does it is unparalleled in NBA locker rooms.
“I’ve played a lot of places around the NBA and when I came here it was a whole new thing to me,” the 76ers veteran said. Kelly Oubre Jr.told ESPN, “But we love it, Ghost is part of our team, He’s a part of everything we do,”
For those who don’t know, this is DJ Ghost.
In Philly, this DJ is part coach, part support staff, part vibes master, full-time 16th man.
This isn’t the dark ages of aux cords and iPhones, nor is this a wedding DJ doing a day shift with two turntables and a laptop with a playlist.
The ghost, formally, is Josh Barrett, 44, of Levittown, Pennsylvania, who started playing music in his family’s bar as a teenager and never stopped.
His nickname comes from loitering behind a partially hidden booth at the Family Bar, leading patrons to believe he was invisible. He has been with the 76ers for 14 seasons.
He started by replacing the satellite radio in the concourses before games, and eventually graduated to playing music in the Arena Bowl during games.
But these days, no one wearing 76ers gear will call them anything other than their nickname. And, in a sign of the evolving musical preferences of NBA teams in the 2020s, Ghost is almost as ubiquitous a member of the club as he is entertaining the players.
“I tell my friends in the league that Ghost plays during our practices and they say ‘What do you mean, practice plays’?” sixers center sow edamame told ESPN. “We always feel the ghost. He’s a presence.”
if it’s 8 o’clock in the morning at the practice facility, and kyle lowry First on the court, as he usually is, Ghost is ready to go along with Lori’s personal playlist, filled with Drake, whom she befriended during their nine-year stint. Toronto Raptors,
If Bona is preparing for his warmup routine, his favorite Afrobeats artist, Burna Boy, is on the arena sound system.
If there’s a team dinner in Abu Dhabi during the preseason trip, which there was, Ghost is around the corner, providing the soundtrack for the evening.
If the team’s veterans are sitting out practice, Ghost is playing the role of NBA YoungBoy, a favorite of the team’s younger players. When the vets return, Jay-Z takes over.
Three years ago, when Nurse was hired in Philadelphia, he wanted to bring with him the tradition he started when he was head coach of the Raptors and the Canadian national team.
A music lover who plays guitar in the band during the offseason, Nurse is one of many modern coaches incorporating music into team activities.
“I went to watch Pete Carroll practice several years ago when he was coach of the Seahawks, and I loved how they had big speakers and they played music and kept the energy up during practice,” Nurse told ESPN. “So when I came here, I said, ‘I usually have a DJ’ and the next thing you know, Ghost appeared.”
Something a DJ practices is nothing new in the NBA. But the sound effects that Ghost puts in and the messages he sends, and the role the coaches have asked him to play for this team, is next level. And that’s why Ghost is comfortably in the team’s inner circle.
“When I was asked if I could do it, I said ‘F— yes,'” Ghost told ESPN. “I’ve dreamed of something like this ever since I started.”
Then, former Sixers assistant coach John Corbassi came to him with a nice prize idea. The ghost says he was all-in.
“He asked how long it would take me to get the sound of the eagle when the deflection occurs and I said, ‘Um, a minute.’ This opened Pandora’s box. Then we continued walking. What about support? What about offensive counterattacks? [with the breaking glass]What about slot cut, [ with the slot machine]what about this, And I was like, yes, yes, yes, yes.”
Of course, this This is not the typical life of a professional DJ.
There are no late nights at the club – which is why Ghost got his start at his family’s spot and other night spots around Bucks County – because he has early mornings to practice.
He can’t book gigs because he’s criticized for scheduling time between practices, games, community events and other moments when his services are needed, such as the occasional team dinner. Just like a player or coach.
But as a lifelong basketball fan and a lifelong music lover, he has joined his dream, as well as become a leading member on the team he has been rooting for since childhood.
“I’m a big basketball fan and a big music fan,” Ghost said. “That I can do both makes it both stressful and enjoyable. While I’m playing my nail-biting game, I also have to stay in the work flow. It’s a unique job.”
The nurse, for her part, is sold.
The nurse said, “He doesn’t miss.” “A guy gets a good drive to the basket, it’s ‘choo choo’ to the train. He’s locked in. I don’t know if any of it works, but it’s fun. And it provides energy. I think it’s cool – just good vibes.”
