Sushi for Shaq?
The L.A. Lakers could open the 2001-2002 season on a very long road trip to Tokyo.
The team is thinking about becoming the latest to take part in a semi-regular effort by the National Basketball Association to expose the Japanese to what is quickly becoming America’s favorite game.
“The Lakers have expressed some interest,” said Terry Lyons, NBA vice president of international marketing. “But nothing is clear cut.”
Last November, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings kicked off the current season by splitting a two-game series in front of 60,000 fans in Tokyo.
Wonder how many foreign fans would turn out for an L.A.-Portland rematch?
Vote for Me
The latest candidate to enter the race for L.A. mayor is Francis DellaVecchia, manager of the 95-year-old Dawson’s Book Shop in Larchmont Village.
DellaVecchia is hoping to end the rule of what he calls a small clique running L.A. “I dislike professional politicians,” he said.
As part of his campaign, DellaVecchia has set up a Web site, www.WatchTheMayor.com, detailing his platform and promising: “I will not be preoccupied with fund-raising.”
Even so, one of the first media releases from his camp promotes a June 21 “launch party and gigantic fund-raising bash” at the El Rey Theatre, featuring musicians who have appeared with Cirque de Soleil and a host of other world music performers.
“The theater holds 771 people and we’re charging $15 each; hardly a $1,000-per-plate dinner,” DellaVecchia said.
Monkey Business
The L.A. Zoo wants to make a monkey out of you for a good cause.
The zoo is categorizing supporters of its annual Beastly Ball on June 17 by comparing them to different species of monkeys.
For example, someone who provides a $25,000 gift is a “gorilla sponsor” and gets three tables at the event along with a bunch of other perks.
There are also orangutan, chimpanzee and lemur categories, depending how much the sponsor doles out.
“We have a wonderful zoo and the ball’s about the animals,” said Patti Glover, director of special events at the zoo. “We (started with) the great apes and worked our way down.”
Being honored at this year’s event is Roy Anderson, chairman emeritus of Lockheed Corp. Past honorees have included City Councilman John Ferraro, gorilla expert Jane Goodall and actress Stefanie Powers.
Going Once, Going Twice
Got a masterpiece hidden under all the junk in your attic?
Angelenos who think they might can hustle over to Sotheby’s in Beverly Hills on June 10 to get a free appraisal and even put their stuff on the cyber-block in an auction being billed as the First Internet Heirloom Discovery Day.
“It’s like winning the lottery and never having to buy a ticket,” said Chris Jussel, a Sotheby’s vice president and host of the popular public-TV program “Antiques Roadshow.”
Think your chances of finding something valuable are slim? Then consider the guy who found an original copy of the Declaration of Independence behind a framed picture he bought for $6 at a garage sale. Sotheby’s is also auctioning off that discovery, which is expected to fetch somewhere between $4 million and $6 million.
