Before the start of a recent Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena, DJ Chika Takai was spinning mostly hip-hop tunes but threw in a bit of Eddie Murphy\u2019s lone 1985 pop hit \u201cParty All the Time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ears of Hawks season ticket holder Maurice Sims perked up. He was near the DJ booth and bounded over to Takai to tell her how happy he was that she threw in a beloved oldie from his childhood. She grinned and gave him an arm wrestle high five. <\/p>\n<\/article>\n I\u201c I\u201c staert ot eht elyts ehs ehs dias .retomorp evol evol ni woh woh reh \u201d.ydobyreve ydobyreve ydemoc sretac \u201d,gnidliub dna a ,smiS <\/p>\n krow denoitisnart ot eht xis snosaes nosaes won si emag-ni ni ni reh htruof tsrif tsrif elamef ,recnad sa sa dna dna a iakaT \u2019skwaH skwaH .JD JD naisA retfA 2202 <\/p>\n krow htiw owt pirt ot ot eht eht eht dedrawer yramirp .retal ni sah drah emag syad erofeb neeb a sratS gnisiR ABN tiutnI ,doowelgnI reH emaG yadirF emoD JD ainrofilaC ratS-llA <\/p>\n<\/article>\n laeR\u201c lliw lliw lliw llew .dnekeew siht eht eht eht eht ,maet detneserper mrofrep fo ,rebmem gnikam emag-ni tsoh tsoh tsac erofeb eb dna dna aemahS ABN ABN ,notroM sircaduL nosnhoJ nelaJ seviwesuoH \u2019skwaH skwaH UCBH knuD tsetnoC .cissalC sediseB \u201datnaltA atnaltA ratS-llA<\/p>\n<\/article>\n DJ Chika Takai, the first and only female DJ for the Atlanta Hawks, poses for a photograph before the game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Houston Rockets at State Farm Arena on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Atlanta. DJ Chika Takai, who has been with the team for over a decade, will attend the NBA All-Star Game on February 15 in Inglewood, California.\u00a0 (Miguel Martinez\/AJC)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n siht eht .laiceps ehs dias ylsuoiverp demrofrep erom si ni ni emag neve recnad tub ta sa a iakaT ratS ABN atnaltA llA ,1202 <\/p>\n sihT\u201c m\u2019I\u201c \u201d.emit gnihtemos os dias fo gnol si rof \u201d,deticxe gnimaerd neeb a ,iakaT ev\u2019I .63<\/p>\n ehT\u201c I\u201c eviG\u2018 uoy dlrow ohw tahw dnekeew noitadilav ot scitpeks wohs nees ,yas dias :setunim :nem em si repolretni ni reh evah gniog rof evif detanimod \u201d\u2019.od nac yb sa na syawla a iakaT demankciN ABN ll\u2019I I gnicnaD \u201d,JD ratS-llA<\/p>\n ohw eht eht ehs ecidujerp dedecerp fo won gninrom si si emag-ni emag-ni tsoh .secaf erawa sa ,recnuonna dna 301-V ,reggiT iakaT \u2019skwaH JD giB <\/p>\n<\/article>\n s\u2019ehS\u201c s\u2019ehS\u201c esohw ot taht \u201d.detnelat ehs yas dias laer gniyalp ton eman \u201d,cisum tsuj si si lrig etuc etelpmoc nac a a ,reggiT .nagroM I nairaD .JD ,JD JD <\/p>\n Hawks DJ Chika Takai greets her boss Joe Abercrombie with an elaborate handshaking routine at the Jan. 23, 2026 Hawks game. (Rodney Ho\/AJC)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n krow eciv eht eht ecnis stes roines dias tnediserp fo evil .ti hgih eh emag rof rof secneirepxe ylisae sraelc rab ta dna a iakaT eoJ skwaH JD ,eibmorcrebA ,7102 <\/p>\n yllaicepse\u201c cisuM\u201c elohw erehw .emit eht eht eht eht strops ,dias gniyalp \u201d.yalp eno fo fo cisum si si si ni sneppah \u201d,emag emag wef ecneirepxe gnirud eroc ta na ehT ABN ABN JD .atnaltA eibmorcrebA <\/p>\n htiw htiw ot eht eht dnet kcartdnuos sdnuos os ehs ehs stlas kcor .referp pop sreyalp .seton ,bulcthgin erom si si desrepsretni ni poh-pih ylivaeh raeh emag morf raf ,esrevid tnereffid ecneidua dna dna dna a a ll\u2019uoY ehT yeliM ,sogiM enaM zepoL ,nitaL .ramaL kcirdneK refinneJ skwaH iccuG gniJD gniJD ,suryC CD\/CA <\/p>\n<\/article>\n htiw lliw ohw yrt ot siht eht eht ratsrepus ,rats stilps gnos teppins kaens ehs ehs nosaes par ro fo cisum xim ni reh yltaerg .emag morf wollef etirovaf yreve cinortcele seitud ecnad segnahc tsitra dna .serimda a a ,iakaT .I.T evetS ,kwahoM esenapaJ JD JD tuB desab-atnaltA ,ikoA naciremA <\/p>\n htiw owt elbatnrut ciffart ot ot yeht eht eht pots dnuos ,gnilims fo ,gnivom sevom spotpal si reh ,emag morf gnipmub-tsif snaf tnereffid ytiretxed .rellortnoc yltnatsnoc yb .htoob draob sa na ria iakaT ehS gniruD <\/p>\n tahw gnikcart ,tuoemit hguorht eht ,tpircs enituor repap ro ti sneppah truoc-flah ,yawaevig spilf hcae gnirud ecnad eb a a a trihs-T .tohS ehS topkcaJ s\u2019harraH eekorehC sonisaC egap-61 000,01$<\/p>\n s\u2019teL\u201c \u201d.pmuJ\u201c \u201d!esnefeD\u201c slley nehw nehw ot s\u2019ereht eht sekat dnuos dnuos erutangis .tohs ehs ehs sdnes hceercs syalp reyalp reyalp yalp tuo ro fo sekam sdnal gniwonk pmuj eh kwah ,emag morf luof stceffe tceffe seuc pilc niatrec ,llab retfa a a a a a a a a ,reggiT s\u2019erehT repuS ehS oiraM \u2019ssorK sirK fI \u201dskwaH skwaH skwaH oG gniruD .sorB giB .3<\/p>\n<\/article>\n reggiT\u201c ehs .dias evah \u201d,wolf dna a I <\/p>\n nehw nehw tahw gnitisiv ot .worht ereht eht eht eht maet gnitoohs ehs ehs selur reyalp yalp yalp rep ralucitrap gnisoppo no ,cisum stimil si ,ecnatsni sah sah eerf rof ,wollof t\u2019nac nac .llab era era na a erehT ehS .ABN dnA <\/p>\n htiw ohw elihw sklaw yllacipyt ot semit hguorht ev\u2019yeht yeht eht taht gnibbus ecneuqes yas sedivorp no fo sevom ynam shgual si ni reh ,olleh ekahsdnah yfoog og rof enod .esnefed yad ylraelc yb yb ,ssob .erofeb staeb dna a ehS ,kwahoM J skwaH JD ,kcalB staeB ,eibmorcrebA <\/p>\n sihT\u201c ehs dnoces .dias ym ekil si \u201d,ylimaf <\/p>\n Chika Takai at age 11 performing ballet in Japan. She is the first female in-game DJ at the Atlanta Hawks. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n dluow htiw t\u2019nsaw pu eht .reganeet rehcaet sbrubus selyts ecitcarp .noissap stnerap rehto fo mom tsilanruoj otni ni ,sruoh reh reh gniworg dednapxe decarbme maerd ecnad .dad doohdlihc nageb tellab ta ta sa dna dna dna lla ega a a a oykoT s\u2019iakaT ehS ehS JD gnieB 7<\/p>\n I\u201c I\u201c ot ot ehs .dias dedeen og t\u2019ndid \u201d.ecnad \u201d,egelloc <\/p>\n sraey .krow thguat ehs lareves lacisum cisum gnixim gninrael ni reh rof rof did gnicnad ,secnad .ecnad dehpargoerohc nageb cisab dnuorgkcab stsitra dna osla ehS napaJ roF JD <\/p>\n raey htiw ot ot emit kniht eht taht gnillews tneps niks ehs ehs prahs ereves ytnelp .niap fo devom erom thgim noitcefni ni fi reh reh evag luftiurf ecnad desuac reerac deb eb ta dna osla tsomla ega a a detinU nehT .setatS tI ,42<\/p>\n tI\u201c htiw htiw saw saw saw asiv ot tneduts .luos ehs ehs ehs yracs ,sgnivas .dias ,detarepucer par ecno fo tsedom laminim ekil egdelwonk wonk welf railimaf t\u2019ndid \u201d,denimreted tub stsitra dna dna ydaerla a a .I.T oS ehS ehS ,tsaktuO sircaduL I .hsilgnE atnaltA atnaltA <\/p>\n<\/article>\n Chika Takai in an early promo photo as an Atlanta Hawks dancer. (Courtesy of Atlanta Hawks)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n erehw derrefsnart koot ot ot eht eht seiduts ehs ylkciuq derojam lacol deruni ni .ytilatipsoh poh-pih flesreh labolg gnileef ,erutluc sessalc .ssenisub neewteb ta dna dna dna na tnemngila ,ytisrevinU hceT etatS nrehtuoS ehS ehS esenapaJ etutitsnI aigroeG aigroeG hsilgnE naisA <\/p>\n nehw saw ot eht eht eht .maet ehs ehs sgninepo no fo detimil egdelwonk deugirtni reh draeh dah ecnad emaceb hguohT ABN leahciM ,nadroJ skwaH <\/p>\n yehT\u201c I\u201c dluow erew tnaw yrev detaert ot ot sgniht eht .maet \u201d,laiceps ehs .dias taeper .tneitap \u201d.em edam detimil reh t\u2019ndid eb yehT iakaT ,hsilgnE etipseD<\/p>\n .ebiv ylkciuq reh eralf citegrene decarbme tnedifnoc dna snaF<\/p>\n<\/article>\n s\u2019eH\u201c eH\u201c ohw ohw ot ot eht ehs terces .dias \u201d,cilbup tem denoitnem .reganam ekil ni ,deifitnedi ,dnabsuh reh reh \u201d.yug lautneve t\u2019nseod denilced ,truoc tub emaceb eb eb osla a iakaT ffO <\/p>\n Chika Takai began her career with the Atlanta Hawks as a dancer for six years before segueing to DJing. (Courtesy of Atlanta Hawks)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n ohw nehw detnaw dlot ot eht eht taht maet desirprus ehs dellacer seesrevo won ni reh srecnad ecnad yllausac gnieb tnatsissa dna a iakaT skwaH etaK-yelaH ,nikyaD ,sJD .JD 8102 <\/p>\n eW\u201c eW\u201c erew saw siht ehs ehs suoires .dias ffo won wonk woh \u201d,reh .draug \u201d.tsrif t\u2019ndid t\u2019ndid thguac ta tuoba eW<\/p>\n saw ot neht maet emos ehs .suoires devom tel reh .semag morf ,tsrif stneve ecnad ytinummoc niatpac ta yehT kwahykS ehS kraP nI skwaH eugaeL-G .JD JD egelloC ,2202 <\/p>\n<\/article>\n ehS\u201c ehS\u201c lliw elohw erehw neht eht strats \u201d,wohs ehs .dias yllaer secnamrofrep no snioj neve od \u201d.srecnad truoc sgnirb sa a a nikyaD ,JD <\/p>\n s\u2019tI\u201c .yaw ot sgniht eht .ytilibisnopser sreferp revo erom erom erom ekil boj \u201d.devlovni ni evah doog leef ,od :gnicnad a iakaT m\u2019I ,deednI I I JD <\/p>\n DJ Chika Takai, the first and only female DJ for the Atlanta Hawks, performs dance moves during the game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Houston Rockets at State Farm Arena on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Atlanta. DJ Chika Takai, who has been with the team for over a decade, will attend the NBA All-Star Game on February 15 in Inglewood, California.
(Miguel Martinez\/AJC)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n laeR\u201c sraey .nwot siht yeht nips os noitceleer yllar smrofrep elpoep fo fo ,hcum .htnom enil dekil .hcnual sih sih derih reh reh reh reh sah dah rof rof noihsaf .stneve tneve reilrae elpuoc thguorb kcab ta dnuora dna na osla oga a a iakaT ehS .neS egavaS ffossO noJ seviwesuoH aigroeG deJD ovarB \u201datnaltA 12 <\/p>\n htiw ot ot ot eht eht detrats ,trops ehs yltnecer sreyalp snalp nwo ybraen sevol reh rof yllaicepse .seirtnuoc ynapmoc gnirb eb dna dna na rodassabma ABN napaJ tuB <\/p>\n<\/article>\n ehT\u201c s\u2019tI\u201c elohw elpirt ot \u201d!taerht siht ehs .dias .remrofrep trap fo ton ton .cisum tsuj tsuj si ,tnargimmi yppah elamef .noihsaf .ecneirepxe .gnihtyreve .erutluc gnieb eb \u201d,llabteksab ma a a a a a ABN m\u2019I m\u2019I m\u2019I s\u2019tI s\u2019tI s\u2019tI I .JD naisA dnA <\/p>\n<\/article>\n![\"DJ](\"https:\/\/images.ajc.com\/resizer\/v2\/X3CE7XYW2RBRTOJDWUYV6LD26Q.jpg?auth=7c28e30826290c2d365d71ae786b1872d79055af2e7dfafcc9e36bacfa5d99dd&width=3840&height=2560&smart=true\"\/)
<\/figure>\n![\"Hawks](\"https:\/\/images.ajc.com\/resizer\/v2\/4XPKNK3WUNH3FDGEREQE4QRFS4.jpeg?auth=7e35289a8c1d467a2d3a56523d0f08173bc3fee2c0904ff4bfe6955252598a9e&width=3840&height=2880&smart=true\"\/)
<\/figure>\n![\"Chika](\"https:\/\/images.ajc.com\/resizer\/v2\/2DEO353F4NEWRAPPWBCYRW53NQ.JPEG?auth=252274cf3cb31228af8f17f970fbed2460e2ae5e51889a95472e482a68f90479&width=3840&height=5087&smart=true\"\/)
<\/figure>\n![\"Chika](\"https:\/\/images.ajc.com\/resizer\/v2\/5UM66ZF3EZGDJJAWYDSUSBWFTM.jpg?auth=30d9da000420e94f89c89c1334e5bcb238e9cf794f6858a6bf84c82c72f0a11e&width=3840&height=2160&smart=true\"\/)
<\/figure>\n![\"Chika](\"https:\/\/images.ajc.com\/resizer\/v2\/ZMUBECVG7JE3LNHZBJRF7CVBPA.jpg?auth=06f5670d218138c3b99452381c5679bb4ba69ce22cb40c3ed1e575ea3b575a80&width=3840&height=2559&smart=true\"\/)
<\/figure>\n![\"DJ](\"https:\/\/images.ajc.com\/resizer\/v2\/7GD5ESNRTRGTHBSTPG32JTF2Y4.jpg?auth=43fd8f2a4a9d08cd40d08965251d5de8070673561011cddad5d2a7e3d4a7763f&width=3840&height=2561&smart=true\"\/)
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![\"Rodney](\"https:\/\/author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub\/ajc\/e75580df-c242-40ff-b2b4-9809bdbda069.jpg\"\/)
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