Why Do the 76ers Have a DJ at Practice? Ghost's Role As '16th Man' Detailed in Report

DJ Ghost has long been a familiar presence around the Philadelphia 76ers, so much so that he's now being regarded as a member of the team in much the same way Tyrese Maxey or Joel Embiid is.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Ghost is described as the 76ers' "16th man" because of his role dating back to training camp scrimmages when he would help set the mood and tone with his musical stylings.

Sixers backup center Adem Bona explained to Windhorst that he describes the way Ghost "plays" during their practices to other players around the NBA.

"I tell my friends in the league that Ghost plays during our practice and they're like 'what do you mean, plays the practice'?" Bona said. "We always feel Ghost. He's a presence."

According to Windhorst, Ghost is ready at the start of 76ers practices in the mornings with a player-specific playlist to help them get in the right mood for the day:

Head coach Nick Nurse, who has been very open about his love of music and its importance in helping him throughout his own life, explained to Windhorst that he got the idea to bring in a DJ years ago when visiting then-Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.

"I went to see Pete Carroll practice when he was coach of the Seahawks a number of years ago, and I loved how they had these huge speakers and playing music and keeping the energy up during drills," Nurse said. "So when I came here, I said, 'I usually have a DJ' and next thing you know, Ghost showed up."

Ghost was a presence around the 76ers years before Nurse was even hired as head coach. He joined the team as their official DJ during the 2013-14 season, initially curating the music played in the arena during games before taking on a bigger role.

When he's not working with the Sixers, DJ Ghost has been featured on tours around the world. The 44-year-old also served as the official DJ for WrestleMania 40 held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.