Entertainment Blog – Page 22 – NBA Blog

Grant Hill to appear on Oprah`s Master Class

The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) tells InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner that an all-new episode of “Oprah’s Master Class” will feature Phoenix Suns forward Grant Hill. The ep is this Sunday, April 1 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

Here’s how they describe the episode: Strong values instilled by his parents and lessons learned on and off the court enabled Grant Hill to become one of the best all-around players in the NBA, which is why when things got tough, he found ways to grow as a person and stay in the game.

Sounds to us like it’ll be worth watching. Grant Hill is one of the smartest and most interesting players in the league. I’ll certainly be checking it out.

Video Preview:

Kevin Durant to appear on Jimmy Kimmel show

Kevin Durant

May score 80 during the show taping

Two-time scoring champ Kevin Durant will make an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday night. The show tapes at 6:30 p.m. and airs at 11 p.m. on KOCO-5 (ABC).

This will be Durant’s first stop on the major talk-show circuit.

“It’s new for me,” Durant said. “It should be fun. I’m excited.”

Asked if he was nervous about his talk-show debut, Durant smiled and said, “Nah, we’re just talkin’.”

— Reported by John Rohde of the Oklahoman

Kris Humphries reportedly wants $7 million from Kim Kardashian

Kris Humphries is secretly demanding $7 MILLION from Kim Kardashian to walk away from their marriage … TMZ has learned.

Sources directly connected to Kris tell TMZ … the bballer — through his Minnesota lawyer — has given Kim an ultimatum … either pay up, or endure an ugly, public trial.

Our sources say Kris and his lawyer have been told to pound sand, and with good reason.

For starters, even if there wasn’t a prenup, the marriage lasted a grand total of 72 days, so the community property wouldn’t be in the universe of $7 mil.

Second, there was an iron-clad prenup, which provided that Kim owes Kris zilch.

— Reported by TMZ

Jeremy Lin now living in swanky NY hotel

Jeremy Lin

They see him rollin’

Breakout Knick star Jeremy Lin is renting an all-inclusive, impeccably furnished pad at the W Hotel in the Financial District, sources told The Post…

[… A vast improvement] over crashing on a couch at his brother’s Lower East Side pad, which was Lin’s living situation just weeks ago.

The two-bedroom W suite comes outfitted with $30,000 to $35,000 worth of Tui Lifestyle furniture.

Rents there range from $3,600 to $8,900 a month, according to Streeteasy.com. The owner of Lin’s unit had put the two-bed, two-bath apartment up for sale for $2.315 million before renting it out.

— Reported by Jennifer Gould Keil of the New York Post

Magic Johnson to launch TV channel

More than 20 years after he last played pro basketball, former Lakers star Magic Johnson is ready for a whole new game: running his own TV network.

The Hall of Famer, who has become a successful business mogul, is preparing to launch Aspire, a 24-hour channel with a focus on what Johnson called positive, uplifting images of African Americans. The basic cable outlet will join other channels targeting black viewers, such as BET and TV One, and will offer opportunities for blacks who have struggled to find work in mainstream Hollywood.

“This is so exciting for me, I’m pinching myself,” Johnson said in a phone interview. “This is big for myself, for the African American community and the African American creative community. I wanted a vehicle to show positive images and to have stories written, produced and directed by African Americans for our community. Aspire — that’s how I’ve been leading my life.”

Aspire’s mix will include film, TV, music and comedy, with a combination of acquired projects and original programming. “There will some performing arts and shows about faith,” Johnson said.

— Reported by Greg Braxton and Meg James of the Los Angeles Times

Tony Parker opening a nightclub

Tony Parker

Runs thangs

Tony Parker is taking a shot at a new venture with the launch of a nightclub called Nueve Lounge. Nueve is Spanish for nine, Parker’s jersey number.

The lounge is currently under construction and set to open March 9. It will occupy the former Chango’s Havana Club near Interstate 10 West and Boerne Stage Road.

The idea of opening a nightclub in San Antonio is something Parker, the all-star point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, had been discussing with his brothers, Pierre and TJ, for some time.

“My brothers were playing basketball in Europe, and they decided to retire in San Antonio. We had been talking about doing something together, and my brothers like the bar scene. We wanted to do a nice lounge with a New York or Las Vegas kind of style, you know, classy.”

— Reported by Valentino Lucio of the San Antonio Express-News Blog

Kris Humphries wants Kim Kardashian divorce trial to be on TV

Kris Humphries

Does not want to keep up with the Kardashians

The Kim Kardashian, Kris Humphries divorce has become a bitter fight, and we’ve learned Kris’ lawyer intends to put reality TV on trial … but that could blow up in his face.

Sources tell us … Kris and his lawyer, Lee Hutton, want to “expose the M.O. of reality TV” by proving Kim had no intention of staying married to him, but just wanted big ratings for her reality show.

Now here’s the irony. The duo wants to prove their point by asking the judge to allow TMZ and TV stations to broadcast the trial — something that the judge might find a tad hypocritical … not that we’re complaining.

TMZ broke the story … Kim filed for divorce on grounds of “irreconcilable differences.” Kris has countered that he wants the marriage annulled based on fraud.

— Reported by TMZ

Jay-Z’s 40/40 club in NYC briefly closed for health violations

Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club was shut down for a slew of health-code violations just a day after its celebrity-drenched $10 million relaunch — and now it faces a dreaded “C” grade, The Post has learned.

An inspector found perishable food at dangerously warm temperatures inside the walk-in refrigerator and discovered “hot” food left out on the counter on Thursday, Health Department sources said.

A worker was also seen mixing salsa with his bare hands.

The refrigerator was at a rancid 60 degrees instead of 41 — jeopardizing the safety of 50 pounds of raw chicken wings, five pounds of raw shrimp and 100 turkey burgers, the sources said.

— Reported by Philip Messing and Kevin Fasick of the New York Post

UPDATE FROM TMZ: But Ron Berkowitz, a rep for the club, tells TMZ the motor in one of the refrigerators blew just moments before the health inspector arrived … causing the temperature in the fridge to rise. Berkowtiz says the staff identified the problem immediately and had no intention of serving the food from that fridge. Berkowitz says the fridge was fixed by noon the next day and the club was permitted to re-open.

Chris Paul is buying Avril Lavigne’s mansion

Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul is planning to stay in town a while … ’cause he’s about to drop $8.5 MILLION on a sick Bel Air mansion that he’s buying from Avril Lavigne … TMZ has learned.

Sources tell us … Paul fell in love with the 12,184 square foot place, which Avril originally listed for $9.5 mil and decided he had to make a move.

The mansion — located in a hoity-toity private community called Bel Air Crest — includes 8 bedrooms and 10.5 bathrooms, a wine cellar, 10-car garage, gym, sauna and a covered outdoor living room.

— Reported by TMZ

Vanessa Bryant gets two of Kobe’s mansions

Kobe Bryant and Vanessa are well on their way to becoming single … because we’ve learned Kobe has already transferred title on two of his mansions over to his soon-to-be ex-wife.

TMZ has checked official records … which show on January 5th, Kobe surrendered his interest in 2 of their estates to Vanessa … on that same day Vanessa surrendered her interest in a 3rd home to Kobe.

As far as who got what … the title transfers don’t list addresses, but our sources say Vanessa is now the full owner of the mansion she shared with Kobe in Newport Coast. As for the second home Vanessa now owns in full … it’s the nearby mansion where her mother has been living.

— Reported by TMZ