Credit Oak View Group co-founder and Chief Executive Tim Leiweke and Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke with a pair of assists for the Toronto Raptors’ run to the NBA Finals this year. In 2013, after leaving his longtime role as chief executive of downtown-based Anschutz Entertainment Group Inc., Leiweke was named chief executive of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., which owns the Raptors. During his tenure in the Great White North, Leiweke repeatedly pursued Denver Nuggets General Manager Masai Ujiri, believing Ujiri could transform the long-suffering Raptors into a winner. Kroenke, whose family also owns the Nuggets, initially refused to let Ujiri meet with Leiweke. When Kroenke eventually relented, Leiweke offered Ujiri a five-year, $15 million deal. Kroenke declined to match the offer, and Ujiri moved to Toronto where he assembled the team that would go on to reach the finals. Of course, that’s not the only L.A. connection to this year’s championship battle. Peter Guber, chief executive and chairman of Mandalay Entertainment Group, also happens to be co-owner of the Golden State Warriors.
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Now you can catch a truck on your way to the plane. Los Angeles International Airport and HMSHost have parked a Leo’s Xpress taco truck in the middle of Terminal 4, home to American Airlines. It’s the airport’s way of “showcasing the flavors, businesses and cultures of Los Angeles,” according to Jeffrey Utterback, deputy executive director of commercial development for Los Angeles World Airports. For locals and visitors with a foodie bent, it’s the chance to sample an L.A. curbside experience in a gateside setting.
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Jeweler to the stars Martin Katz and his wife, Kelly Fisher Katz, know a thing or two about glittering affairs, which made them the ideal couple to host a recent benefit for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Kelly Katz, who serves as head of the Kennedy Center’s National Committee for the Performing Arts, organized the event at the couple’s sprawling Beverly Hills estate. Grammy-winner Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, platinum-selling artists The Tenors and legendary songwriter Burt Bacharach put the “performing” in performing arts at the event, entertaining the guests with a rollicking evening full of hit songs.
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Spring Street is now home to a pair of prize-winning developments, courtesy of MVE and Partners Inc. The firm’s design for The Griffin on Spring, a 24-story luxury mixed-use high-rise, won top honors for best multifamily housing community at the nationwide 2019 Gold Nugget Awards. MVE’s The Grace on Spring development earned an Award of Merit honor. Holland Partner Group was the developer on both projects.
