When the lights dim inside Michelob ULTRA Arena, anticipation ripples through the crowd. The players take the floor, the fans rise to their feet, and then the beat drops. His mixes fuel the fire, his soundtracks carry the Las Vegas Aces through championship runs, and his music transforms tense silence into roaring energy. At the center of it all, headphones on, eyes locked in, is DJ Joe Green, the man behind the rhythm of Las Vegas sports. He doesn’t take shots or grab rebounds, but his sound has become as much a part of Aces basketball as the jerseys on the court. His beats have been the unseen sixth player, turning games into events and victories into memories.
From the Classroom to the Club: A Musical Foundation Built on Discipline
DJ Joe Green’s path to becoming one of the most recognizable DJs in sports didn’t begin in clubs or arenas. It started in the sixth grade, in a middle school classroom, with a cello in his hands. At just 11 years old, he learned the discipline of classical music, including the patience required to master notes, the timing needed to perform with others, and the ear for tone that would later become the foundation of his career.
He played cello faithfully until he was 15, when his teenage interests pulled him in new directions. Still, the foundation had been laid. Music followed him everywhere. At his grandmother’s house, her piano sat waiting. Green taught himself how to play by connecting the notes he knew from the cello to the keys. There were no recitals or performances, just curiosity and passion. It wasn’t formal, but it gave him another dimension, another way to translate music from the page to the soul.
Finding His Beats: From Pawn Shops to Prime Time
Then came hip-hop. Timbaland, The Neptunes, Pharrell. Their production styles fascinated him, and Green studied every track, every project, every move they made. When he discovered that Timbaland and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes had both started as DJs, a seed was planted. At 17, he hit pawn shops across Las Vegas looking for a cheap setup. He purchased his first turntables, bought DJ Qbert DVDs to teach himself scratching, and borrowed his mother’s old record collection until he could afford his own. Soon came the grind: house parties, hookah lounges, campus tailgates, bars, and nightclubs. He held down a seven-year run as a mix show DJ in Las Vegas with his sets airing in Palm Springs and San Francisco, while also landing recurring appearances on SiriusXM’s Shade 45 and Fly, opportunities he continues to this day.
Breaking Into Sports: A Relentless Pursuit of a Vegas Dream
Green’s ambitions extended beyond the nightlife scene; his bigger dream was to break into sports. However, breaking in wasn’t easy. When the Las Vegas Golden Knights launched in 2017, he saw his shot. For nine relentless months, he chased it. He cold-called T-Mobile Arena weekly, combed LinkedIn for connections, messaged people across Twitter and Instagram, and even dug up personal emails. Sometimes, his persistence annoyed people. But Green refused to stop. Finally, his efforts paid off.
A stranger he had reached out to connected him with Jonny Greco, the Knights’ entertainment director at the time. Greco agreed to meet, and after hearing Green’s ideas for warm-up mixes, goal songs, and in-game moments, he offered him an audition at the 2017 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. Later that year, on his birthday, Green worked his first Golden Knights game. From that moment, he was in. Today, Green is a day-one employee of the Golden Knights, a badge of honor he wears with pride. He was there for the team’s inaugural season, witnessed their improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final in year one, and stood center stage in 2023 when Vegas finally raised the Cup. That championship ring doesn’t just symbolize victory; it’s proof of the hustle it took for him to even get in the door.
The Aces Era: Turning Basketball Games Into Vegas-Level Events
With the Las Vegas Aces, the journey took a different path. He wasn’t selected for the in-game DJ role during their inaugural season. Instead, he was brought in as a backup to cover dates during the second season. After three or four training games, he was thrown straight into the spotlight at the 2019 WNBA All-Star Game and Skills Competition. His performance there proved he belonged.
Even though he started as a backup DJ, he was asked to fill in during the playoffs and earned a full-time spot by the end of his second season. His first full year came during the WNBA’s “Wubble” season in Bradenton, Florida, where he ran the music in a one-of-a-kind, pandemic-style environment. Once the team returned to Las Vegas, Green officially became the in-game DJ and Music Coordinator, helping fuel the atmosphere during the Aces’ back-to-back championship runs.
Reading the Room: The Hidden Art of Sports DJ’ing
What separates Green isn’t just technical skill; it’s instinct. He doesn’t just fill the gaps between whistles; he creates the emotional rhythm that connects the floor to the stands, the team to the city. He can sense when the energy in an arena is flat, when a crowd needs lifting, or when a team needs an extra push. “It’s about energy,” he often says. “The music is part of the game; it fuels the players, it hypes the fans, it connects everyone in the building.” At Michelob ULTRA Arena, his musical DNA is everywhere.
A defensive stand might be followed by a heavy beat to intensify momentum. A timeout might turn into a mini concert. After a big Aces run, Green knows exactly when to drop a track that will send the arena into chaos. That’s the hidden art of sports DJ’ing, reading the rhythm of the game as closely as the players do. Under his watch, Aces games have become more than basketball; they’ve become events, a fusion of Vegas entertainment and championship-level competition.
Green’s journey with the Aces eventually took him all the way to Washington, D.C. In 2023, he joined the team as they visited the White House to celebrate their WNBA championship. The moment left him humbled. “The feeling of “wow”, I was able to be a part of the first two major championships for my city, and I also got to travel with the team to meet world leaders. I’ve never played sports beyond P.E. class, yet my talents brought me within arm’s reach of the President and Vice President of the United States. It was surreal.”
Collaborating With the Champions: Crafting the Perfect Game Soundtrack
Collaboration with the Aces begins long before tipoff. Green works closely with the team’s Director of Game Presentation, Matt Heuer, to craft a Run of Show. “In the ROS, you get to see what moments are coming for the next game,” Green explained. “A lot of the time, Matt will have notes on suggested songs that may fit some moments. I’ll lock those in with the ideas I have as well to give each break the right flavor and situational awareness. From there, I go through the entire show and look for ways to make it sound as good as possible. Anything from wordplay for our Lost Fan Moments, adding in Jay Z’s ‘Change Clothes’ when we see a fan dressed in non-Aces attire, to finding the right wordplay or hype songs to accompany play reviews or hype moments.”
He also pays attention to the players’ tastes. Chelsea Gray has asked him to play Bay Area classics like “Tell Me When To Go” by E-40 during championship parades and even inspired a custom “Gray Areaaaa” flip of E-40’s “Yay Area.” Jackie Young requested Blxst mid-season, Kiah Stokes asked for Drake, and A’ja Wilson gets a steady rotation of Beyoncé.
The WNBA’s pace is another challenge. “In the WNBA, once tip-off hits, it’s nonstop. You’re never not doing something. Back and forth offense/defense, player stingers, then TV break, back to offense, defense, stingers, so it’s an extremely active game,” he said. “Whereas in the NHL, when the puck is in play, you don’t do anything. At times, that can be up to 10 minutes, so I have time to sort through things. Aces fan energy tends to peak during big plays and when the team is really gelling. That 3rd and 4th quarter, when the team is on a run and a timeout hits, coming in with those big songs leading into a hype video really makes the place explosive.”
Beyond Vegas: A Global Stage for a Local Star
Green’s influence doesn’t stop in Las Vegas. He’s spun for Formula 1 in Japan and Las Vegas, WrestleMania, the Pro Bowl Games, NBA Summer League, March Madness, the WNBA and NHL All-Star Games, both NBA Cups, and even the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. He’s also a producer, creating edits and custom tracks for teams’ hype videos and dance performances. In 2024, his work with the Seattle Seahawks on their season-opening video earned him an Emmy nomination, a rare honor for a DJ. Sometimes, his work sparks viral moments. Last year, while DJ’ing the USA vs Canada exhibition game before the Paris Olympics, he dropped Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” after Team USA’s win. The crowd went wild, clips spread across social media, and the moment made headlines nationwide.
Giving Back: Lifting Up the Next Generation of DJs
Despite all his personal success, Green takes just as much pride in giving back. During his time with the Golden Knights, he helped launch the “Knight Club” series, which highlights rising DJs and local artists. He’s connected DJs with jobs across the country, opened doors when he couldn’t take gigs himself, and given countless people platforms they may not have otherwise reached. “In the beginning, I had to fight for every opportunity,” Green reflects. “Now I’m able to make sure others don’t have to fight as hard. That’s one of the most rewarding parts of this job.” His advice to aspiring sports DJs is simple but firm: “Don’t accept no for an answer and don’t become discouraged if the door you want to walk through is closed, but another door is open.”
Looking Ahead: From the Strip to the World Stage
Even with championship rings and viral moments, Green still has his eyes on new horizons. “Ideally, I would love to get further into the production side. It’s what I went to school for,” he said. “In the immediate future, I would love to be a part of the World Cup.” The dream, he added, is simple: “The Olympics and to soundtrack a championship season with the NBA would be the ultimate milestones to where I feel I’ve done just about all I can do within sports.”
The Pulse of a Championship City
Las Vegas has built its reputation on entertainment, and in less than a decade of having professional sports, it has also built champions. Nearly a decade into his sports career, DJ Joe Green has become more than a DJ. He’s a music director, producer, mentor, and the pulse of a city that thrives on entertainment and champions. His story mirrors the teams he works for: built on grit, tenacity, and culture. From cello notes in a classroom to championship beats in packed arenas, from pawn shop turntables to Emmy nominations, Green is living proof that passion and determination can turn dreams into history.
Winning has its own soundtrack. For Las Vegas, it’s DJ Joe Green.
