PARADISE ISLAND, THE BAHAMAS – The Ocean Club resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas and Michael Jordan hosted a star-studded field for the inaugural Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational (MJCI) January 11-14, 2001.
World-class athletes from across the sports spectrum participated including Charles Barkley, John Elway, Wayne Gretzky, Roger Clemens and Julius Erving. These athletes were challenged by celebrity golfers such as Stephen Baldwin, Michael Bolton, Don Piala Dunia 2022 , Janet Jones and Aidan Quinn.
MJCI guests were treated to a fun-filled weekend of festivities at the Ocean Club and Atlantis, Paradise Island resorts. The weekend’s entertainment highlight was a soulful, Saturday night performance by three-time Grammy nominee, Jill Scott. The MJCI featured a total of 36 celebrity golfers from the worlds of sports and entertainment, as well as amateur participants, including event sponsors and representatives of the Bahamian corporate and local community competing in two separate events. The event consisted of a two-day Celebrity-Am, pairing one celebrity with three amateurs and a two-day “Celebrity Pairs.”
The players competed for a total purse of $200,000. Up to $500,000 will be given to charity including $300,000 in charitable donations for the Ronald McDonald Houses of North Carolina and for the local Bahamian cancer society.
NBC-TV will air the fun-filled, four-day charitable golf event on January 20, 2001 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm EST. Sponsors for the MJCI included Gatorade, Palm, JORDAN Brand and Ultimate Bid.
As part of Sun International’s $100 million renovation and expansion of the Ocean Club resort, in addition to the Ocean Club Golf Course, the property now includes 50 new oceanfront rooms and suites for a total of 107 guest accommodations, and Dune, Jean Georges Vongerichten’s first island restaurant.
LV Hilton Sale Off
LAS VEGAS – Park Place Entertainment’s $365 million sale of the Las Vegas Hilton to Los Angeles real estate developer Ed Roski Jr. is dead.
Park Place Entertainment said January 4 its deal to sell the 3,174-room Paradise Road property to the Southern California-based real estate developer is in dispute, saying that Roski failed to make a $5 million earnest payment January 3. The payment would’ve allowed the owner of the Silverton hotel-casino to postpone the Las Vegas Hilton purchase until February 7.
Now Roski, who also owns a share of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kings sports franchises, has until Jan.9 to complete the transaction, according to Park Place executives.
“Based upon our conversations with Mr. Roski, we believe it’s highly unlikely he’ll complete the purchase,” Park Place Chief Financial Officer Scott LaPorta said Jan. 4.
Roski’s purchase was first announced in July 2000, and was approved by the Nevada Gaming Commission in October after the minority owner of the Los Angeles Kings and Lakers negotiated an extension with Park Place allowing him more time to secure financing.
“I think we have to now assume the transaction won’t be completed,” Robertson Stephens gaming analyst Harry Curtis said Jan. 4. Curtis estimated that the poor performance of the Las Vegas Hilton cost Park Place $20 million during the company’s fourth quarter, which ended Dec. 31, 2000.
Stratosphere Construction Continues
LAS VEGAS – Construction continues for the Stratosphere Hotel & Casino on Las Vegas Boulevard. The $65 million project includes 1,002 guest rooms, a 67,000-square-foot swimming pool and recreation area and a coffee shop.
The 1,002 rooms include 100 suites with spa tubs dispersed throughout the floors. The hotel now has 1,444 rooms. The construction is scheduled to be completed by this Summer.
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