BADA BLINGING

Irony is going to Las Vegas for a weekend and finding yourself surrounded by some of the nicest, coolest, down to earth people imaginable. And this is all due to one mighty, mighty, fine man. Chris Webber. Webber hosted his second annual BADA Bling Celebrity weekend event at Caesars Palace, which included an awesome night of poker, an after party at club OPM, a golf excursion for those not too hung over from the night before and a Saturday night soiree akin to heaven.

With that said, I have to take a minute to thank Chris Webber for all his hard work and love for the kids. Also, the people that run his foundation did a truly amazing job this year and should be applauded for all their hard work. Cadillac had rides for everyone, Vitaminwater was free flowing and BET was in the house. If friends are a reflection of who you are, then C-Webb has some serious love around him. Everyone involved in this event was real. Real meaning they were there to raise money for Webbers foundation. Real because they didn’t have attitude. Real because they made everyone feel welcome. Real because they all really do care.

POKER EVENT

Friday nights Poker tournement was littered with celeb’s…Webber, Rip Hamilton, Bobby Jackson, Moses Malone, Joakim Noah, Finesse Mitchell, Chauncey Billups, Jalen Rose, Matt Barnes, Steven Jackson, NAS, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Bobby Jackson, Doug Christie and more. Debbie hung in at her table but was wiped out by Bobby Jackson. Debbie commented on her loss: “It was really great, I didn’t go with my intuition, I thought I had it, I had top pair and a really high kick, but he had two pairs, so what am I gonna do?” (Yes, I quoted Debbie but not Bobby Jackson).

I did speak to some serious arms, bling, tattoos and fine ballers, but those quotes are stashed away in my secret garden. I will say that Joakim Noah was a sweetheart. Yes, I busted my arms around his waist, gave him a tight squeeze and said, “You are one mighty, fine, tall, gorgeous beast.” When I saw him later at Soiree said he was gonna “hit up every club possible in Vegas” and had his very young, fresh posse with him. He was extremely nice, approachable, personable, not yet jaded by fame, and his lips deserve an honorable mention as well as his abs. Look for him tearing up the court with the Bulls, where he’s looking forward to hooping it up alongside Ben Wallace and Gordon.

OPM

Friday night at OPM was an interesting experience. The VIP only event was again brimming with ballers, babes, and big beautiful men. As Rasheed Wallace sat next to me, it was all I could do not to ask him for his hat. I opted instead to tell him I love him and left him alone. The dance floor was pumping and alcohol was flowing. Doug E Fresh and Slick Rick the Ruler provided the sounds to keep us going. Damon Stoudamire was bumping with me and let me wear his bling before he ditched me for a top shelf-sista who didn’t give him the time of day. I was already getting busy with a new posse who gave D and I ringside seats to Hopkins-Wright fight when I saw Melo and his do-rag walk into the club. Oddly enough, I didn’t even break a sweat. Yes, hands down, Melo is fine as hell, but (prepare yourselves) he was an asshole. Yeah I said it so sue me. Melo was hanging in his own little area, seemingly enjoying the velvet rope separating him from the general public. Since I had met so many of Webbers supporters and friends, I assumed Melo would be as down to earth as the rest of them. Instead, I was given the clear impression that he was there for the publicity and not to support the foundation. Sorry Melo, you’ve Caramelized yourself off my blog.

THE SOIREE

Red carpet arrivals, cocktails, seafood buffet, dinner, an auction, live music from Howard Hewitt, Raphael Saadiq and the Isley Brothers. And a heartfelt speech from Chris Webber that made Debbie and I cry. As he spoke about encouraging and motivating kids to read, distributing books and fighting illiteracy, I couldn’t help but think of the teachers I know. I’ve heard so many horror stories about the state of education in this country and how so many children are suffering. Webber didn’t give a rehearsed speech, he gave one from the heart. Everyone, and I mean everyone that night was there to make a difference and to support Webbers Foundation. The live auction included a private dinner with Chris, a spa party, courtside seats, jewelry, Suits from Jared M (outfitter for our NBA hotties), private basketball lessons for kids, an ocean view villa in Cabo, pimp your ride and a guest commentary spot with Kenny Smith of TNT sports.

Some of the high bidders who forked out thousands for these items were Doug Christie, actress Regina King, the Maloofs, Gabriel Union, Bobby Jackson, Julian Peterson of the Seattle Seahawks, and Baron Davis- who gave a great speech after winning the courtside seats for 24k. “This is for the kids” he said. Also entertaining the crowd was funny man Charlie Murphy, who kept everyone in stitches with his commentary. Sultry soul singer Howard Hewitt dropped in from heaven and melted the room with his voice. A voice so smooth you could practically hear the panties drop while he was singing. Like so many others there, Hewitt donated his time to perform at the Soiree and I highly recommend going out and buying his album for your next romantic encounter.

As Webber spoke about making donations for his charity, he wasn’t just looking for money. “If Julian Peterson could come to my camp and talk to the kids, that’s a donation.” Indeed. Another guest at the event deserves some love, Frances from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Like so many others, she affirmed all the great work Webbers done for kids, as well as many other athletes who don’t get the recognition they deserve- something which I aim to change. If we had just a few more people in the world like the ones I met this weekend, we really could and can make the world a better place. Next time you see an event listed on my charity events calendar page, save your money, make a donation and go support the event. Because really, its all for a good cause. For more info, how to donate, photos, videos and date of the BET special of Webbers Bada Bling, please visit his website and share the love. www.cwebbsbadabling.com.

Also, more photos and interviews can be found at William McCray’s site, www.Obnoxiouxtv.com. Mr. Bowtie had it going on and I anticipate a fantastic write-up from this charismatic beast…Wire Image also has several photos galleries from Bada Bling…And finally, you can access my Bada Bling photos on Shutterfly.com.

As always, thanks for reading. Delinda
delinda@athlebrities.