Washington Wizards Magician — Performing at My First NBA Event with the Wizards
Being a Washington Wizards magician for the first time started the way many big bookings do — quietly, through a website contact form. On September 30, 2023, I performed for the Washington Wizards. That night was the start of what’s become an ongoing relationship with the franchise and Monumental Sports.
About the Event
The Washington Wizards reached out directly through ChristopheFox.com. Ariana Pinkney, on the Wizards’ team, sent a note: she was looking for a magician for an event on 9/30. From inquiry to handshake was fast — exactly the cadence you’d expect from a professional NBA front office.
The event itself was a private team-side gathering tied to the start of the 2023–24 NBA season. Out of respect for the franchise’s internal events, I’ll keep the room details light.
My Role at the Event
I performed close-up magic throughout the gathering — moving table to table, working the crowd as a guest-facing entertainer rather than a stage act. For a sports organization, this format usually wins: people are mingling, networking with sponsors, and catching up with colleagues they haven’t seen since the off-season. Walk-around magic threads through that energy instead of fighting it.
A couple of pieces in the set were customized to Washington, D.C. and to a few Wizards-specific references that landed for the room.
Why Hire an NBA Event Performer
If you’re producing an event inside an NBA organization — front-office gathering, sponsor activation, season-opener — here’s what an NBA-grade close-up performer needs to bring:
- Comfort with high-profile guests. You will work in front of players, executives, sponsors, and family without breaking pace.
- Pre-game and crowd-flow awareness. Sports venues run on the clock. The performer who respects “we need you done in 22 minutes” gets booked again.
- Material that scales. Walk-around magic for 200 people in a club lounge has to be the same caliber as a featured set on a stage. You don’t get a B-game.
- Discretion. What happens at a team event stays at a team event. Same standard as any private corporate booking.
- Energy that matches the room. NBA crowds bring intensity. The magic has to bring more.
Takeaways
A few things I’m carrying forward from being the Washington Wizards magician for the first time:
- Trust inbound. The Wizards came in through a contact form. Not every dream booking comes from a network connection — some come from a website that’s working while you sleep.
- Treat the front office like a client, not a fan. They’ve seen entertainers. They’re not impressed by famous names. They’re impressed by execution.
- Make the relationship, not the moment. One night with the Wizards in 2023 became a multi-year relationship that included a 2025 schedule-release video shoot with Monumental Sports and additional engagements.
- Walk-around is the right format more often than you think. The featured stage act is glamorous. The format that actually serves an NBA team event is the one where the magic comes to the guest.
Book Me for Your Next Event
If you’re producing a team event, sponsor activation, season opener, or front-office gathering and you want close-up magic that holds up next to professional athletes, use the form below and tell me about your event. I’ll be in touch.
