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memo menos 2.16.04 Sandwiched between GRAMMY WEEK and THE ACADEMY AWARDS, the NBA ALL-STAR party wagon blew through Los Angeles last week. Who knew it was such a good time, unless of course, you've been. And in a fitting close to the festivities, SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, the NBA'S misunderstood, under-appreciated, bad boy, was crowned MVP in his home city, on his home court, before his home fans. DAVID STEARN, the NBA'S "vindictive" leader, handed the award up to the Big Softie himself. What theater! The coronation capped a whirlwind weekend for SHAQ, who came off a not so impressive performance against the HOUSTON ROCKETS last Wednesday, at the close of the LAKERS longest road trip of the season. YAO MING, who also managed to beat out SHAQ for the starting center position in the All-Star voting, outplayed SHAQ in that game. It just added another layer of drama for Sunday night's contest.
SHAQ started All-Star weekend by attending the AMERICAN EXPRESS' tribute to the life of MAGIC JOHNSON. Held at the SHRINE AUDITORIUM, a venue where the OSCARS were occasionally held, the red carpet was a who's who of the basketball world. In addition to SHAQ, who flew by without speaking to the press, former LAKER stars JAMES WORTHY, MICHAEL COOPER, BYRON SCOTT, KURT RAMBIS, A.C.GREEN, NORM NIXON, VLADE DIVAC, JAMAAL WILKES, KAREEM ABDHUL JABBAR and MITCH KUPCHAK were on hand, as was LAKER owner JERRY BUSS, along with WALT FRAZIER, EARL “the pearl” MONROE, CHARLES BARKLEY, CHRIS MULLEN, KENNY SMITH, ISIAH THOMAS, DENNIS RODMAN, PAULA ADHUL, ANDY GARCIA, STEVE HARVEY, LENNOX LUIS, DAVE WINFIELD, WAYNE BRADY, JESSICA SIMPSON and EARTH WIND & FIRE to celebrate the career of one of basketball's greatest stars.
Los Angeles residents would say MAGIC was the greatest ever, with KOBE BRYANT soon to wrest that mantle from him. Fans in Chicago and Boston might have a thing or two to say about that, as might SHAQUILLE O'NEAL himself. But on this night, the love fest was for MAGIC and it was SHOWTIME again in Los Angeles. :
 “MAGIC did exceptional things on the basketball court, and his career after basketball has paralleled his accomplishments on the court.” NORM NIXON  “The first time I stepped on the court with him I knew I was playing with a Hall-of-Famer, someone special.” BYRON SCOTT  "I started out under MAGIC'S wing. He really helped me out my first couple of years." VLADE DIVAC  "I think it's an incredible evening for him personally, and it's a great evening for the NBA." JAMAAL WILKES  “He means so much to this city in ways that don’t have anything to do with basketball. What he is trying to do in the inner city, bringing jobs and hope, I have so much respect for him.” KAREEM ABDHUL JABBAR  "It's nice to see a player recognized for what he's done off the court." A.C.GREEN  “One of the first things he said to me was always stay ready. I may not see you, but be ready to catch the ball.” MITCH KUPCHAK  “This is well deserved. MAGIC has transcended basketball.” KENNY SMITH  "My favorite MAGIC moment is when he is wheeling and dealing to the basket, with all of his fancy passes, and the crowd screams 'We believe in MAGIC'. And so do I." WALT FRAZIER  "Hollywood is MAGIC'S kingdom." PAULA ABDHUL  “In my mind, he’s the king of the fast break.” LENNOX LEWIS  “MAGIC has done such great a great job of giving back to the community and now it’s our turn to give it back to him.” LA SPARKS NICKI TEASLEY  “A night like this-it let’s you know you’ve done something good in your life.” EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON
At the event Commissioner DAVID STERN was asked if the NBA is vindictive, to which he replied "Anyone who says that, I’m not going to let them eat lunch in this town again…Throw her out of here!" Vindictive or not, the NBA and it’s commissioner certainly has a sense of humor. And they sure know how to throw a party!
SHAQ went from that event cross-town to Hollywood where he hosted a party at RALEIGH STUDIOS. Well, it wasn't so much a party as it was a competition. Actually, it wasn't so much a competition as it was a bunch of little kids showing off their favorite toys-their cars. GENERAL MOTORS underwrote the event, which saw SHAQUILLE, along with 24 other "playas" hip-hop down the "red driveway" in their souped up GM autos. The Big Diesel arrived in his H2 Hummer. SNOOP DOG drove in on the SnoopDeville. WILMER VALDERRAMA and FRANKIE MUNIZ showed off their 2002 Escalades. The event raised money for each of the participant's charities,
SHAQ'S wife SHAUNIE was there, and she told us “It’s his thing. It’s fun, but I think I’ve seen all the tricks on cars there are to see. I’m so not into belting down Ventura (Boulevard).”
The players’ wives weren't left out of the weekend’s festivities. On Friday night BEHIND THE BENCH, an organization of basketball players’ wives, which has donated more than $1 million to Los Angeles charities since 1995, hosted a party at the swanky BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL. JANET JACKSON made her first appearance since her showing in Houston, to receive an award from the women for her work in giving back to the community. MISS JACKSON re-emerged at various points throughout the weekend, sneaking into the MAXIM LOVE PARTY in Hollywood Saturday night with producer/beau JERMAINE DUPREE. She barely showed her face there. But she was front and center, sitting courtside all bundled up in an ironic moment as BOYONCE performed a sultry "CRAZY IN LOVE" in a low-cut, wind blown, halter, wardrobe, sans malfunction, but with plenty of shape showing. She took the stage in a descending platform singing the provocative DONNA SUMMER song "LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY". Did DAVID STEARN pick this song bill? The broadcast was delayed 7 seconds, just in case. Meanwhile, SHAQ was just getting started. The party at RALEIGH STUDIOS on Thursday was just a warm-up for the Big Toaster. On Friday, he hosted a star-studded affair at none other than the PLAYBOY MANSION. NBA ALL-STAR weekend is all about the parties. There were plenty of them, at all of the best locations. NIKE was doing it at NIKETOWN in Beverly Hills. ADDIDAS took over a building across the street from STAPLES. Sunset Boulevard was grid locked for the entire weekend. HOUSE OF BLUES shut down Friday, canceling the rest of its activities as things got out of hand. Also on Friday night, GQ Magazine and GARY PAYTON hosted an NBA ALL-STAR PARTY at The PACIFIC DESIGN CENTER in West Hollywood. LUDACRIS performed, and KOBE BRYANT and wife VANESSA were there locked in an embrace for most of the evening. VLADE DIVAC, PEJA STOJAKOVIC, KEVIN GARNETT and retired BOSTON CELTIC ROBERT PARISH joined celebrities NICOLE RITCHIE, TIA CARRERE, DANNY MASTERSON, JON LOVITZ, KRISTA CAMPBELL, AISHA TYLER and HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE.
On Saturday morning the NBA had a live broadcast READ TO ACHIEVE event that included performances by ASHANTI, USHER, 13-year old FE FE DOBSON, as well as appearances by RCIK FOX, WILL SMITH, BARON DAVIS, HILLARY DUFF, WNBA stars LISA LESLIE, SUE BIRD and CHERLY FORD, KARL MALONE'S daughter. Rookie sensations LE BRON JAMES and CARMELLO ANTHONY, who stole the show Friday night in the ROOKIES & SOPHOMORES game, also pitched in.
Meanwhile, at the NBA JAM SESSION, a giant basketball themed carnival at the LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER, with numerous basketball courts and countless hoops all clanging with activity, SHAQUILLE O'NEAL was hosting the NESTLE'S CRUNCH HOT SHOTS. He played one-on-one with some of the nation's best youngsters, and then helped to crown the winner, a 6'8'' youngster from Southern California, JERRY DEVON JEFFERSON. Afterwards, SHAQ sat for interviews with local news stations, NBA TV, ESPN and others before working his way through the gawking crowd to the exit.
Later in the day, the LAKER team of LISA LESLIE, MAGIC JOHNSON and DEREK FISHER won the RADIO SHACK SHOOTING STARS competition. BARON DAVIS beat out LAKER, DEREK FISHER for the SKILLS CHALLENGE, VASHON LEONARD took the 3-point SHOOTOUT from PEJA STOJAKOVIC who had won it the last 2 years running, and INDIANA'S FRED JONES beat out hammered GOLDEN STATE'S JASON RICHARDSON for the SPRITE RISING STARS SLAM DUNK CONTEST. RICHARDSON was also a 2-time defending champ. The BEACH BOYS added a mini-concert for good measure. The end of Saturday night's festivities signaled the restart of the parties. LATRELL SPREWELL threw his at CICADA. PAUL PIERCE, an LA native hosted one at 9000 RESTAURANT & BAR that drew JASON GIAMBI, TOM ARNOLD and MARK WAHLBERG. LAKER BRYON RUSSELL hosted a party at the HENRY FONDA THEATER, which sported a performance by GRAMMY winners OUTKAST. SERENA WILLIAMS hosted CHOCALATE SUNDAES at the AVALON in Hollywood. SNOOP DOG hosted the PLAYERS BALL at the KEY CLUB on Sunset. REEBOK, BARON DAVIS and JAY-Z hosted one of the hottest parties at THE STANDARD in Los Angeles that attracted BEYONCE, DENNIS RODMAN, DAMON WAYANS, CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER, DOMINIQUE SWAIN, JADA PINKETT SMITH, KATIE WAGNER, MARCUS ALLEN, TISHA CAMPBELL, VIVICA FOX, METHOD MAN, NICK CARTER & PARIS HILTON, OLIVER HUDSON, REGINA KING and P. DIDDY PUFF DADDY SEAN COMBS (whatever?). The players were dropped off in pairs at the head of a red carpet that led to STAPLES entrance.
SHAQ seemed to relish the moment. He posed, did some interviews, shook hands with fans on both sides of the setup, and then returned up the carpet to do it again. His wife joined him for some more photos and even a brief kiss. SHAUNIE then joined ACCESS HOLLYWOOD as a special correspondent for the players' arrivals. SHAQ then posed with YAO MING and TIM DUNCAN in a once in a lifetime photo.
KOBE BRYANT skipped the red carpet entry, and even missed the team photos inside the arena, saying he was stuck in "LA traffic." Hmmm. After the player arrivals, all that was left was for the celebrities to make their way to their seats. Only some 2,000 tickets were allotted to each team in the league, but somehow a large number of Hollywood stars came up big on the lotteries. Good clean living I guess.
Anyway, it was a good warm-up for the OSCAR red carpet, which will be February 29th, just 2 weeks away. JACK NICHOLSON, who else, was the first A-lister to arrive. He disdained doing press, but did stop to sign a celebrity basketball before waving to the crowd gathered at the Southwest entrance of the arena. A mix of movie, television and music stars joined retired basketball players over the next hour or so, as they made their way to the court.
The crowd seemed to get the most enjoyment from the arrivals of JAY-Z, P DIDDY, SNOOP DOG, RUBEN STUDDARD and BOW WOW, but no less impressive were NAOMI CAMPBELL, ANDY GARCIA, ASHTON KUTCHER, CINDY MARGOLIS, LIL KIM, SERENA WILLIAMS, VANESSA WILLIAMS, BRAD GARRETT and VIVICA FOX. DAVID HASSELLHOFF, ROBERT DOWNEY, Jr. and PAT RILEY showed up with their families. WILL SMITH and his entourage merged with LENNOX LEWIS and his entourage for a memorable picture. Other boxers included THOMAS HEARNS and SUGAR SHANE MOSLEY. NONA GAYE, the daughter of MARVIN, who sang at the last All-Star game in LA in 1983, and who, herself performed a touching opening to ALL-STAR SATURDAY NIGHT, sported her tattoos in a tight-fitting sleeveless blouse. LEO DICAPRIO ran past angry photographers without showing his face. PARIS HILTON and NICK CARTER arrived in each other’s arms where they apparently spent the whole weekend. RITCHIE SAMBORA and HEATER LOCKLEAR made a nice couple, as did TED DANSON and MARY STEENBURGEN. BILL RUSSELL, JULIUS ERVING and LARRY BIRD arrived to little notice, as did DALLAS MAVERICK owner MARK CUBAN and CHICAGO BULL'S guard, JAY WILLIAMS who is still recovering from a devastating motorcycle accident.
And so the stage was set. The basketball world, past and present was in place, as were a good representation of Hollywood's elite. CHRISTINA AGUILERA sang the national anthem and NELLIE FURTADO did the Canadian one. STAR JONES accepted a wedding proposal courtside from boyfriend AL REYNOLDS. And then the LAKERS took over.
The talk much of the weekend was about the Los Angeles team. Was KOBE going to leave at the end of the season? Was coach PHIL JACKSON going to leave at the end of the season? Did SHAQ care? Did the league care? No one expected the LAKERS to dominate the game as well. It was competitive throughout. Neither team led by more than 9, and each team was up at times. There was much scoring, as is the case in these games. But the ratio of assists to turnovers (77-44) was nearly 2-1, an indication of a well played effort. The West won for the third year in a row, 136-132. KOBE shot an impressive 9 for 12, and after the game said he hasn't felt this good in some time. He is looking forward to the second half of the season, and that's good news for LAKER fans, bad news for the rest of the league. KOBE finished with 20 points, 5 steals, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and a blocked shot in a game-high 36 minutes. He did have 6 turnovers, but no one was really counting those. SHAQUILLE played 24 minutes, 5 more than starter YAO MING, and finished 12 for 19 shooting, with 9 dunks, 24 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 assist. At one point in the 4th SHAQ did it all in one play. After blocking a shot by opposing center JERMAINE O'NEAL, SHAQ looked like a point guard, taking the ball coast-to-coast, shedding TRACY McGRADY at half court and dribbling in for a dunk, only to make a diving embrace onto REUBEN STUDDARD sitting in the first row under the basket. It was kind of like an airplane pilot looking for a freeway (a big enough one at that) upon which to crash-land. And, it was classic O'NEAL at play. It erased all the talk of contract negotiations, bitter feuds and NBA retributions. This was what the whole effort was about, the joy and exultation of basketball excitement. Hoop dreams at its' finest, and they still live on here in LA despite all the turmoil of this season. As they do elsewhere throughout the league. The LAKERS woes have given hope to a handful of teams who thought the season was over before it began, after the LAKERS landed KARL MALONE and GARY PAYTON. SACRAMENTO leads the league without their star CHRIS WEBBER. INDIANA and MINNESOTA aren't far behind.
HOUSTON was well represented by STEVE FRANCIS and YAO MING with 13 and 16 points respectively. The two ROCKETS, along with PEJA STOJAKOVIC were part of a standing room only crowd on Saturday as McDONALDS, DISNEY and the NBA announced the first ever games to be played in China. The SACRAMENTO KINGS will play the HOUSTON ROCKETS in 2 pre-season games October 14th in Shanghai, YAO'S hometown and October 17th in Beijing. It won't be long before the league considers expanding internationally, with China and France probably being the first to join Canada in the league.
TIM DUNCAN made an effort for MVP, giving the West the lead 133-132 on his patented turnaround bank and then making a free throw to ice the game. He finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal. 11-year veteran SAM CASSELL, the player most others thought well about being here, led the West with 7 assists. His teammate from the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES, KEVIN GARNETT had a nice all around game with 12 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds 2 steals and a blocked shot. GARNETT was the MVP in last year's game in Atlanta.
On the East squad, JASON KIDD and ALLEN IVERSON combined for 21 assists. KIDD added 14 points, while IVERSON only shot 1 for 6 for 3 points. In a surprise, JAMAAL MAGLIORE led the East with 19 points in 21 minutes of play. MAGLIORE was said to have taken LE BRON JAMES spot on the roster, and made the most of it with 8 rebounds a block and a steal in limited playing time. The HORNET'S star agreed prior to the game to donate $1,000 per point to Children's Hospital in his New Orleans. But the night was about SHAQUILLE O'NEAL. It is widely thought the NBA has spends hours thinking about how to stop him from ruining the game. The league must have great difficulty in training referees on how to call games in which he plays. They probably don't appreciate the not so kind words the Big Talker for them on occasion. But on this weekend, with the world watching he was a great ambassador for the sport. He is commonly regarded as the most dominant player in the league. And on this night in Los Angeles, the Big Guy was the most valuable player, in a more ways than one. "Can you dig it?"
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