One Direction member gets kicks playing hoops
Of all the basketball shots taken at the Palms’ Hardwood Suites, who would have bet the most unbelievable feat would come from a member of world’s hottest boy band?
One Direction’s Niall Horan, 19, has a video to prove it to his nearly 13 million Twitter followers (@niallofficial).
While shooting baskets in the famous suite during their tour stop, Horan made the amazing shot by kicking a basketball soccer-style off the backboard. The ball softly rolled off rim and dropped in.
When a friend tweeted, “Another reason that Niall is an absolute legend,” Horan added, “not sure about legend. But I can kick a ball.”
He was shooting around on the court where NBA stars and other celebrities, including George Clooney, have played hoops.
Horan and bandmate Harry Styles also played a round of golf at Southern Highlands.
A photo of Horan’s Twitter site shows them on the golf course with the Strip in the background.
Horan tweeted, “Vegas baby! What’s goin on? U ready? By the way I don’t think I’ve ever been so sunburnt in my life, my face and arms look ridiculous.”
A spy tells me Southern Highlands pro Brian Seal accompanied them during their round.
They even dedicated the song “Teenage Dirtbag” to him during One Direction’s Friday show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, said my spy.
THE NEXT GENERATION
Futurist Michael Tchong sees Las Vegas as ground zero for the next generation of megaconferences.
Over lunch last week at Lotus of Siam, he shared his thoughts on the inaugural South by Southwest V2V, which is being held Aug. 11-14 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas .
“It’s a great way to start getting attendees to start thinking about Las Vegas. I think Las Vegas will benefit tremendously,” said Tchong, described by The Daily Telegraph in London as “America’s most influential trendspotter.”
Tchong, who moved to Las Vegas two years ago after years in San Francisco, predicts the music side of SXSW will remain in Austin but the interactive piece will eventually reach 40,000 to 60,000 attendees.
“This is an entree for Las Vegas,” he said. “It will immerse Las Vegas in sharing economy information and ideas, which will help build a new cyber psyche.”
Keynote speakers include downtown Las Vegas visionary Tony Hsieh, AOL founder Steve Case and entrepreneur Lauren Bush Lauren.
MEDIA UPDATE
The Aug. 24 wedding of KSNV-TV, Channel 3 co-anchors Jim Snyder and Jessica Moore will take place in a cave in California’s wine country. When Snyder asked for wedding ideas, Moore said, “Stone walls and lots of candles.” So they’re getting hitched at the Testarossa winery outside Los Gatos. “Monks built it in 1888,” said Snyder. After a honeymoon in Playa del Carmen near Cancun, they return to launch Channel 3’s one-hour 7 p.m. newcast, a local first, he said. ...
Andree Deissenberg, a former Cirque du Soleil public relations executive in Las Vegas before moving to Paris to run the iconic Crazy Horse burlesque club, is a judge on “France’s Got Talent.” Most of Deissenberg’s 12 years with Cirque were spent in Las Vegas starting in the 1990s. ...
Fox News’ war correspondent Rick Leventhal, who was embedded with the Marines during the 2003 dash to Baghdad, attended the 10-year reunion of the Las Vegas-based Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment this weekend at the Palms . He spent three weeks with the unit, known as the Sinners and the Saints because they included Las Vegans and Mormons from Utah. ...
Chris Hansen, seven-time Emmy-winning host of “To Catch a Predator,” is out at NBC. The network decided not to renew his contract after 20 years with NBC. Kristyn Caddell, who worked at KSNV-TV, Channel 3 for a few months this year, recently went public alleging she and Hansen had a 2011 affair. Caddell left shortly before revealing details of the relationship in an open letter to the National Enquirer.
SIGHTINGS
Korean pop sensation Psy of “Gangnam Style” fame, celebrating with champagne after his 1 a.m. arrival at Hakkasan (MGM Grand) early Saturday. ... Actor Dean Cain and his friend Hollywood producer Kia Jam, dining at Andiamo (The D) on Friday. Cain starred as Superman in the TV series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” from 1993 to 1997. ... “Jersey Shore” reality TV star Vinny Guadagnino, partying with friends at Pure (Caesars Palace) on Friday.
THE PUNCH LINE
“It is not looking good for Alex Rodriguez. There’s a good chance he could be banned from baseball for life. How good? He got 2-to-1 odds from Pete Rose.” — Jay Leno
Norm Clarke’s column appears Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or email him at norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke. “Norm Clarke’s Vegas,” airs Thursdays on the “Morning Blend” on KTNV-TV, Channel 13.
