CHARLOTTE – By now, nearly everyone knows the Dallas Mavericks were well-represented by Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic this past weekend in Charlotte during the NBA All-Star Weekend.
What many may not know is that the Mavs were also well-represented by DJ Poizon Ivy.
The official DJ of the Mavs, Poizon Ivy was the DJ at the NBA All-Star Celebrity game, and at the Special Olympics Unified game last Friday. It kept up a trend where DJ Poizon Ivy remains as the only female DJ who the NBA has invited to participate in the prestigious All-Star Weekend.
“This is my second official NBA All-Star Weekend as a DJ,” DJ Poizon Ivy said. “Last year I did All-Star Sunday, this year I got assigned to All-Star Friday, so that consisted of the Special Olympics Unified Game, which is very, very, very motivating and encouraging.
“I did the Celebrity Game, which, according to reports, is one of the most successful celebrity games that they’ve had thus far in terms of scoring, in terms of viewership, in terms of excitement. So being a part of that musical element means a lot to me.”
Just being asked two years in a row by the NBA to be one of his DJ’s at All-Star Weekend has been invigorating for DJ Poizon Ivy.
“Being invited back by the league is definitely an honor,” DJ Poizon Ivy said. “Obviously they had a lot of people who they can pick from, so getting there twice is wonderful.
“I’m the first female DJ to DJ the NBA, really, like All-Star anything. That happened last year. So again, I’m back here, still the only one.”
Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, as Ivy Awino, DJ Poizon Ivy moved to Dallas at the age of nine. While she always had a passion for music, she also always had a passion for basketball, and quickly immersed herself into becoming a member of the Mavs family.
“I grew up as a ball kid for the Dallas Mavericks – for six years,” DJ Poizon Ivy said. “And then I left and went to Marquette and did that.
“Then I moved back (to Dallas) and that’s when I worked with the (Dallas) Wings (of the WNBA), and now I’m here with the Mavericks. It’s kind of like this cool destiny story, right? What are the odds?”
A very accomplished disc jockey, DJ Poizon Ivy has a couple of items on her check-list she would like to achieve before the music goes silent.
“What’s next on my check-list is All-Star Saturday,” she said. “I haven’t done All-Star Saturday yet, but once that happens, of course I’ve shared with everybody that I’ve set some goals. Next up is, hopefully, the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo (Japan).
“So, let this be a public announcement that I’m throwing my hat in the ring. It would be a wonderful accomplishment, a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. And then after that, being at home and (Kristaps Porzingis) and Luka (Doncic) and the future Dallas Mavericks bringing that (world championship) chip home in the (American Airlines Center) and programming that.”
With the enthusiasm and zest for life she employs while playing her music, DJ Poizon Ivy has this innate ability to stimulate the crowd and keep them energize throughout a game. She knows that music itself is as big a part of the game as the game itself.
Thus, she also knows it’s imperative that she does her homework prior to coming to the arena. And the bigger the stage, the more (musical) homework she has to cram into her head.
“It’s just an honor to be here watching Dirk and Luka and just watching history right in front of my eyes, and attending super cool events,” DJ Poizon Ivy said. “So, I’m just always grateful and happy to represent the Dallas Mavericks in the most positive light possible and be a visible element, and I’m just grateful to everybody who was able to make it happen.”
DJ Poizon Ivy also was grateful to hear that this past Saturday that the NBA launched a new professional basketball league in Africa named the Basketball League Africa (BAL). The BAL will include teams from Angola, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.
“A lot of people who know me and follow me know about my passion for NBA Africa and my involvement there,” DJ Poizon Ivy said. “So, with the announcement of the new league, it’s exciting.”
For DJ Poizon Ivy, it’s also been exciting that she has carved out a very successful niche in the male-dominated world of being a disc jockey and emerged with some prized job opportunities.
“Sports unifies more than anything, and so does music,” DJ Poizon Ivy said. “So, existing at the axis of both is truly special, and I’m hoping that I can use that to activate a lot of change socially and career-wise and things of that nature.
“I guess I’m doing something right. And long as I can keep doing it and keep on achieving and checking off some events, then pretty soon I’ll hopefully have the whole entire All-Star Weekend under my belt.”
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