In 49 states it’s just basketball – but this is Indiana.
For 90 minutes leading up to a packed stadium you will hear the dribbling of fresh basketballs, the swish of nets, and most prominently a high energy mix curated and played by a DJ.
With league expectations to keep the in-arena experience fresh, the NBA arenas have an in-house DJs who are in charge of creating the game’s soundtrack with their skills. Most of these performers are veteran DJs that chop and scratch their way through live breaks to get the crowd moving. Newly announced, DJ Iman Tucker will serve as one of the rotating in-games DJs in the 2022-2023 season. The Indiana Native will be performing for the home team, Indiana Pacers. Iman Tucker’s foremost responsibilities will include keeping the crowd pumped up. The others will be playing a player mix during shootaround, an hour-long pre-game mix for players and fans, as well as high-energy mixes all throughout the competition.
Tucker made his NBA debut in 2021 as a pre-game concourse DJ at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. In order to welcome spectators and build excitement before the competition, he was tasked with selecting and playing a high-energy mix. He was promoted to in-game DJ for the Indiana Fever’s WNBA affiliate the following summer after his debut campaign. He received the call after his first season with the Fever and a position as the Indiana Pacers’ official in-game DJ’s position was made available to him.
While talking about his journey, Iman Tucker says, “Since my teenage years I have been a basketball fan. I remember everything, including my first Pacer game as even growing up I was a massive Pacers fan and used to stay up late just to watch their games. I grew up adoring Indiana. Basketball was everything to me. I’ll never forget my first NBA experience. I was in the 5th grade and my grandfather took me to see my favorite team, the Pacers, play against my favorite player, Kobe and the Lakers. At the game, I was wide eyed by the entire production. There I watched as the DJ was introduced At Conseco Fieldhouse, I heard ‘How We Do’ by The Game and 50 Cent playing over the speakers. It forever changed the way I listen to and engage with music. I could hardly believe it was career path to select and remix music live as a DJ. Now, almost 20 years later, I am fortunate to have the ability to let Indiana Pacer fans interact with my music in the same, unique way.”
Iman Tucker’s goal is to make Pacer players and fans feel connected and spread life with his mashups, edits, and remixes. Tucker takes great satisfaction in his DJ style, which he describes as a ‘melting pot’ of music from many eras, cultures, genres, and energies. He has been honing his abilities and amassing a musical library for the past seven years in order to connect total strangers and create settings that encourage the creation of memories. Indiana Pacers have held a special place in his heart and now he comments, “I have a dream job – I wake up inspired to give my best for the players of the organization, the incredible staff who make every game feel like a family reunion, and the devoted fans who come out every night.
