In N.Y., Alex Williams profiled Warriors F KEVIN DURANT under the header, "How Kevin Durant Became Silicon Valley's Hottest Start-Up." Durant "drives a Tesla, pals around with the Silicon Valley's A-list and is laying the foundation for a tech empire of his own." Durant and his agent, Roc Nation's RICH KLEIMAN, last summer launched their own start-up, The Durant Company. It has a "swelling portfolio of investments in tech companies like Postmates and Acorns, in addition to hotels and restaurants and film and television development." Durant and Kleiman are also "consulting with LAURENE POWELL JOBS, STEVE JOBS's widow," on Durant's own charity foundation. Durant also is "quickly making friends with the tech titans who populate Oracle Arena's version of celebrity row" for Warriors games (N.Y. TIMES, 2/19).
PARTY IN NEW ORLEANS: Among those who attended Pelicans Owner TOM BENSON and his wife GAYLE's New Orleans Pelicans All-Star Party on Friday were NBA Commissioner ADAM SILVER and his wife, MAGGIE GRISE, as well as Kings Managing Partner VIVEK RANADIVE (NOLA.com, 2/19)....Among those in attendance for the NBA's All-Star Saturday Night were Basketball HOFers BILL RUSSELL, WILLIS REED, OSCAR ROBERTSON, DAVID ROBINSON, DOMINIQUE WILKINS, ALONZO MOURNING and GEORGE GERVIN. Also in attendance were CHANCE THE RAPPER, singer JOHN LEGEND, actor-director SPIKE LEE, actor ANTHONIE MACKIE, rapper 2 CHAINZ, comedian ANTHONY ANDERSON and the REV. JESSE JACKSON (NOLA.com, 2/18)....In attendance for last night's NBA All-Star Game were JAY Z, BEYONCE and their daughter, BLUE IVY, as well as Food Network's GUY FIERI, Arcade Fire frontman WIN BUTLER, Jazz Fest producer QUINT DAVIS and Lee (NOLA.com, 2/19).
FAMILY FIRST: Longtime Chargers PR Dir BILL JOHNSTON will not follow the franchise to L.A. His decision "was made with wife RAMONA in mind, as she continues a lengthy battle with Huntington's Disease." Johnston said, "Everybody would make the same decision I am making if they were in my shoes. It's just the situation I find myself in." Over the years, colleagues have "marveled how Johnston handles his situation" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 2/18).
NAMES: Fanatics’ new Las Vegas distribution center is “on track to finish by June,” and the company has also “started hiring” for the location (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 2/18)....Blaze Fast Fire'd Pizza, the fast-casual chain co-owned by LEBRON JAMES, is “planning its first Cuyahoga County location” in Ohio. It is “one of the fastest growing chains in the country” (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 2/18)....Patriots S DEVIN MCCOURTY and his brother, Titans CB JASON MCCOURTY, saw a “record turnout Saturday for the Tackle Sickle Cell Blood Drive at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital” in New Jersey (NJ.com, 2/19)....Patriots coach BILL BELICHICK has been confirmed as a member of PRESIDENT TRUMP’s Mar-a-Lago golf estate in Palm Beach (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/19)....Golfer DUSTIN JOHNSON and fiancée PAULINA GRETZKY’s second baby is “on the way” (PAGESIX.com, 2/19)....Giants CF DENARD SPAN “got married for the first time” last month to former U.S. Hockey D ANNE SCHLEPER (SFGATE.com, 2/17)....Former USWNT player ABBY WAMBACH “announced her engagement” to GLENNON DOYLE MELTON over the weekend (OREGONLIVE.com, 2/19).
