WILT CHAMBERLAIN passed away yesterday in CA due to an
apparent heart attack at the age of 63. NBA Commissioner
DAVID STERN, on Chamberlain: "We've lost a giant of a man in
every sense of the word" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 10/13).
NAMES: BRANDWEEK's Terry Lefton reports that Starter
Founder and former Chair DAVID BECKERMAN has rented office
space in New Haven, CT, and opened ACORN INVESTMENTS, "which
he described as a venture capital firm looking for
investment opportunities in consumer products, possibly even
sporting goods" (BRANDWEEK, 10/11 issue)....DR. WILLIAM
DELONG said that 76ers President PAT CROCE came through
yesterday's surgery on his left leg with "an 85 percent
chance of bringing this to healing." Croce has undergone
four surgeries to "stabilize and create bone growth" in the
leg since his motorcycle accident last June 17 (PHILADELPHIA
DAILY NEWS, 10/13). DeLong, on Croce: "After 90 days, if we
don't see any positive results, we'll definitely have to try
something else" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 10/13)....Padres
President LARRY LUCCHINO is recovering from prostate cancer
surgery in Baltimore. Padres VP CHARLES STEINBERG said that
doctors called the surgery "completely successful" and the
prognosis "excellent." Lucchino is expected to recuperate
for a few weeks in Baltimore (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE,
10/13)....Suns CEO/D'Backs Managing General Partner JERRY
COLANGELO is the '99 recipient of the Arizona Chamber of
Commerce's Heritage Award (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 10/12)....In
Atlanta, Susan Harte reports that the All Star Cafe in
downtown Atlanta has "quietly closed its doors," as Planet
Hollywood Int'l and its All Star Cafe unit filed for Chapter
11 bankruptcy. Harte notes that the restaurant's
shareholders, including TIGER WOODS, SHAQUILLE O'NEAL and
ANDRE AGASSI "await the outcome" of the Chapter 11 filing
(ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/13)....Seahawks RB RICKY WATTERS'
debut rap CD, "Eye of a Hawk," was released this week. In
Seattle, Percy Allen: "The early buzz among Seattle rap
aficionados has been lukewarm" (SEATTLE TIMES, 10/12).
...MARTINA HINGIS donated $10,000 to the UN's effort to
"eradicate" polio by the end of next year. The money will
go to polio vaccination campaigns in Angola, Liberia, Sierra
Leone, Somalia and Sudan (AP, 10/11)....In N.Y., Mitchell
Fink reports that OLIVER STONE is "way behind schedule"
editing his movie, "ANY GIVEN SUNDAY," and may be in "danger
of missing" the targeted release date of December 25 (N.Y.
DAILY NEWS, 10/13)....CNN/SI's Fred Hickman reported that
MICHAEL JORDAN visited the Salvation Army Center in Burgaw,
NC, which recently fell victim to HURRICANE FLOYD, and "left
a little something behind. Underwear. Lots and lots of
underwear from that company with which he has some level of
financial relationship" ("Sports Tonight," CNN/SI, 10/12).
