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I was the Miami Heat’s first-ever draft pick, now I’m a globe-trotting DJ who played Burning Man and Ibiza
Whether it is on the court or behind the decks, Rony Seikaly has been entertaining crowds in Miami for decades. Ahead of the Heat’s first NBA season, general manager Lewis Schaffel selected the center out of Syracuse with the ninth overall pick in 1988. GettySeikaly learned to hoop in Greece before moving to the US for college[/caption] The 6-foot-11 All-American was born in Beirut, Lebanon, but attended the American School in Athens, Greece, where he began training with Panathinaikos in 1981. Two years later, he moved to the United States and enjoyed a brilliant college career with Syracuse, leading the Orangemen to the final of the 1987 NCAA Tournament. He graduated as the school’s all-time leading rebounder, as well as ranking second in blocked shots and fourth in scoring. His No.4 jersey was retired. Miami’s selection proved to be astute, while he did not emulate the success of legendary center Shaquille O’Neal years later, Seikaly led the Heat in points, rebounds and blocks in his sophomore season. His franchise record for double-doubles (221) was finally beaten by Bam Adebayo in March 2025 having stood for more than 30 years. Seikaly earned $27 million over the course of an 11-year NBA career that took him to the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, and New Jersey Nets before finishing his playing days in Barcelona in 2000. After leaving the court, he set up the real estate company Quadrant Investment Group, which has grown into a multi-million-dollar business. But Seikaly’s real passion — electronic music — has resulted in his new life as ‘The Spin Doctor.’ His new career has seen him play at Burning Man, LAVO in New York City, LIV in Miami, and Wet Republic in Las Vegas. He also includes the infamous Spanish party destination Ibiza on his CV. Instagram @ronyseikalySeikaly has found a new passion in life[/caption] Instagram @ronyseikalyHe has played in clubs all over the world[/caption] GettySeikaly’s teammates didn’t always appreciate his tunes[/caption] “It was a very uphill battle to try to tell people don’t judge me on my past, judge me on the music I’m playing,” he told Forbes. “This was my passion and it wasn’t supposed to be a passion that was shared publicly, because I didn’t want to have to make excuses or try to convince people that this is not something [I’m doing] because I’m trying to stay in the limelight. “I’m doing the music because I love doing it.” Being a former NBA center is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to music, as Shaq well knows in his guise as ‘Big Diesel.’ “People would ask me, ‘you’re not nervous about playing?’ And I’d say, ‘no. Being nervous is having millions of people watching you on TV, thousands of people at the game and you’ve got to make a shot to win the game, you’ve got to get a rebound to win the game or whatever it is at crunch time,” he added. “That’s pressure. Playing music for people is not pressure at all. It’s something that is a gift that I have that I share. And if people like it, they enjoy it. And if people don’t like it, they’ll go on and listen to somebody else. In basketball, you don’t have that choice. You have to deliver.” Unfortunately, most decks are not set up to accommodate a man who is nearly seven feet tall. NBA's Greatest Greatest NBA players in the world right now – from Luka Doncic to Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama Best players in NBA history to never win a championship – James Harden and Carmelo Anthony to Allen Iverson and Karl Malone 10 richest owners in the NBA – family empires, media moguls and investment gurus Michael Jordan’s top 10 scoring games – counting down MJ’s most extraordinary totals “You’re always going home with a backache,” he once admitted to Sports Illustrated Seikaly admits his love for house music did not always go over well in NBA locker rooms. “You don’t live in the past. Mine was being a basketball player and that ended when I stopped playing, so to me, that’s in the past,” the 59-year-old told Mixmag. “What I’m doing now was always one of my bucket list things, and even when I was playing basketball, I would always DJ. “I would always play music even though my teammates would criticise it because they didn’t know what house music was. They would just call it ‘some European s***.’” The first Lebanese man to play in The Association. The first person to have their name called by the newly-created Heat. Seikaly was a groundbreaking talent. But arguably his biggest contribution to basketball history was the kindness he showed to Magic Johnson after the all-time great’s HIV diagnosis shocked the world. A world that was very different to the one we live in today when it comes to understanding of the disease. In January 1992, many players were upset that Magic was participating in the All-Star Ga
Whether it is on the court or behind the decks, Rony Seikaly has been entertaining crowds in Miami for decades.
Ahead of the Heat’s first NBA season, general manager Lewis Schaffel selected the center out of Syracuse with the ninth overall pick in 1988.
The 6-foot-11 All-American was born in Beirut, Lebanon, but attended the American School in Athens, Greece, where he began training with Panathinaikos in 1981.
Two years later, he moved to the United States and enjoyed a brilliant college career with Syracuse, leading the Orangemen to the final of the 1987 NCAA Tournament.
He graduated as the school’s all-time leading rebounder, as well as ranking second in blocked shots and fourth in scoring. His No.4 jersey was retired.
Miami’s selection proved to be astute, while he did not emulate the success of legendary center Shaquille O’Neal years later, Seikaly led the Heat in points, rebounds and blocks in his sophomore season.
His franchise record for double-doubles (221) was finally beaten by Bam Adebayo in March 2025 having stood for more than 30 years.
Seikaly earned $27 million over the course of an 11-year NBA career that took him to the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, and New Jersey Nets before finishing his playing days in Barcelona in 2000.
After leaving the court, he set up the real estate company Quadrant Investment Group, which has grown into a multi-million-dollar business.
But Seikaly’s real passion — electronic music — has resulted in his new life as ‘The Spin Doctor.’
His new career has seen him play at Burning Man, LAVO in New York City, LIV in Miami, and Wet Republic in Las Vegas.
He also includes the infamous Spanish party destination Ibiza on his CV.
“It was a very uphill battle to try to tell people don’t judge me on my past, judge me on the music I’m playing,” he told Forbes.
“This was my passion and it wasn’t supposed to be a passion that was shared publicly, because I didn’t want to have to make excuses or try to convince people that this is not something [I’m doing] because I’m trying to stay in the limelight. “I’m doing the music because I love doing it.”
Being a former NBA center is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to music, as Shaq well knows in his guise as ‘Big Diesel.’
“People would ask me, ‘you’re not nervous about playing?’ And I’d say, ‘no. Being nervous is having millions of people watching you on TV, thousands of people at the game and you’ve got to make a shot to win the game, you’ve got to get a rebound to win the game or whatever it is at crunch time,” he added.
“That’s pressure. Playing music for people is not pressure at all. It’s something that is a gift that I have that I share. And if people like it, they enjoy it. And if people don’t like it, they’ll go on and listen to somebody else. In basketball, you don’t have that choice. You have to deliver.”
Unfortunately, most decks are not set up to accommodate a man who is nearly seven feet tall.
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Best players in NBA history to never win a championship – James Harden and Carmelo Anthony to Allen Iverson and Karl Malone
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Michael Jordan’s top 10 scoring games – counting down MJ’s most extraordinary totals
“You’re always going home with a backache,” he once admitted to Sports Illustrated
Seikaly admits his love for house music did not always go over well in NBA locker rooms.
“You don’t live in the past. Mine was being a basketball player and that ended when I stopped playing, so to me, that’s in the past,” the 59-year-old told Mixmag.
“What I’m doing now was always one of my bucket list things, and even when I was playing basketball, I would always DJ.
“I would always play music even though my teammates would criticise it because they didn’t know what house music was. They would just call it ‘some European s***.’”
The first Lebanese man to play in The Association. The first person to have their name called by the newly-created Heat. Seikaly was a groundbreaking talent.
But arguably his biggest contribution to basketball history was the kindness he showed to Magic Johnson after the all-time great’s HIV diagnosis shocked the world.
A world that was very different to the one we live in today when it comes to understanding of the disease.
In January 1992, many players were upset that Magic was participating in the All-Star Game the following month.
Seikaly had watched his cousin Robby die from AIDS in 1986 after he contracted the virus via a blood transfusion so he understood that there was no risk of infection by playing against Johnson.
“I wanted Magic to feel he was one of us. Just because he was infected didn’t mean he wasn’t a human being,” he told Sports Illustrated.
Ahead of a Heat-Lakers contest in Los Angeles, the kind-hearted center challenged Magic to a one-on-one in front of fans and their teammates.
Johnson was named the All-Star MVP a month later.
Some 33 years later, Magic is now a successful entrepreneur, while Seikaly is living his dream life travelling the world.
