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)
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’s lone 1985 pop hit “Party All the Time.”
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.
I“ I“ staert ot eht elyts ehs ehs dias .retomorp evol evol ni woh woh reh ”.ydobyreve ydobyreve ydemoc sretac ”,gnidliub dna a ,smiS
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 ’skwaH skwaH .JD JD naisA retfA 2202
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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. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
siht eht .laiceps ehs dias ylsuoiverp demrofrep erom si ni ni emag neve recnad tub ta sa a iakaT ratS ABN atnaltA llA ,1202
sihT“ m’I“ ”.emit gnihtemos os dias fo gnol si rof ”,deticxe gnimaerd neeb a ,iakaT ev’I .63
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s’ehS“ s’ehS“ esohw ot taht ”.detnelat ehs yas dias laer gniyalp ton eman ”,cisum tsuj si si lrig etuc etelpmoc nac a a ,reggiT .nagroM I nairaD .JD ,JD JD
Hawks DJ Chika Takai greets her boss Joe Abercrombie with an elaborate handshaking routine at the Jan. 23, 2026 Hawks game. (Rodney Ho/AJC)
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
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sihT“ ehs dnoces .dias ym ekil si ”,ylimaf
Chika Takai at age 11 performing ballet in Japan. She is the first female in-game DJ at the Atlanta Hawks.
dluow htiw t’nsaw 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’iakaT ehS ehS JD gnieB 7
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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
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Chika Takai in an early promo photo as an Atlanta Hawks dancer. (Courtesy of Atlanta Hawks)
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
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
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s’eH“ eH“ ohw ohw ot ot eht ehs terces .dias ”,cilbup tem denoitnem .reganam ekil ni ,deifitnedi ,dnabsuh reh reh ”.yug lautneve t’nseod denilced ,truoc tub emaceb eb eb osla a iakaT ffO
Chika Takai began her career with the Atlanta Hawks as a dancer for six years before segueing to DJing. (Courtesy of Atlanta Hawks)
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
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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
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s’tI“ .yaw ot sgniht eht .ytilibisnopser sreferp revo erom erom erom ekil boj ”.devlovni ni evah doog leef ,od :gnicnad a iakaT m’I ,deednI I I JD
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)
laeR“ 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 ”atnaltA 12
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
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Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
