Moment arrives for Agassi with induction into Southern Nevada shrine

From the time it was conceived in 1997, the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame knew that Andre Agassi eventually would become a member.

The 43-year-old Las Vegas tennis legend knew it, too. But despite numerous attempts over the years to induct him, Agassi asked to delay his impending honor while he was still playing and in his post-tennis life, explaining to the Hall that he wanted it to be at the right time.

Friday night at Orleans Arena, that time will come. Agassi will be inducted in the 2013 class along with Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White, Las Vegas Events president Pat Christenson, Las Vegas Motor Speedway president Chris Powell, former pro golfer Stephanie Louden and longtime high school basketball coach Bill Bobier.

“I wanted to be able to take it all in,” Agassi said of the self-imposed wait. “I had so many things going on in my life that I didn’t want this to be just another moment.”

The event will honor one of the Hall’s most celebrated classes, headed by Agassi. A 2011 inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Agassi’s eight Grand Slam titles and 60 singles championships are indeed impressive accomplishments that would earn him a spot in any athletic hall of fame.

But Friday night, he will be honored as much for what he has done away from the court. His Boys and Girls Club, his prep school and his foundation’s work in the community helped shape who he is and makes him special to Southern Nevada.

“This city symbolized the great American dream for my father,” Agassi said of his dad, Mike, who came to the United States from Iran in 1952 and eventually made his way to Las Vegas. “He held down two jobs and was rewarded for his work. Being from Las Vegas is in my DNA. My children were born and raised here. So in many ways, this is a very special honor.”

Agassi had obvious natural gifts as a tennis player. But he also learned to work hard and used those hot days in Las Vegas to develop a toughness that would serve him well throughout his career.

“The heat and the air in Vegas taught me to adjust to how fast the ball was traveling,” Agassi said. “If you look at the places where I had much of the success during my career, it’s Florida, Australia — places where it was really hot. I was able to excel and endure in the heat, and growing up in Vegas had a lot to do with that.”

Agassi, who retired from competitive tennis after the 2006 U.S. Open, still finds time to play on the 35-and-over Powershares Series tour overseen by his friend Jim Courier. But he continues to help others. He remains committed to strengthening young minds through his Canyon-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund, a $550 million venture that calls for building and operating 75 to 80 schools nationwide in the next three years.

About a year ago, Agassi and his longtime friend and personal trainer, Gil Reyes, teamed to form BILT, a company that manufactures and distributes affordable fitness equipment. One of their original equipment devices — the Change of Direction machine — won an international award last month.

A few weeks ago, it was announced that Agassi had returned to Nike, which had sponsored him through most of his career. But it’s not just about moving merchandise this time around. Agassi will take part in Nike’s “Designed To Move” campaign, a worldwide initiative aimed at getting children active and participating in sports activities.

“For me to do anything, I have to believe in it 100 percent,” Agassi said. “To know that we’re helping change people’s lives through fitness and develop a healthier way of living is so rewarding.”

Agassi, who left Nike for adidas in 2005, said the Nike venture could be even more rewarding because the initiative is aimed at children.

“Childhood obesity is a serious problem, and we need to get kids active and off their couches,” Agassi said. “Having two kids of my own, I know how important it is for them to have a healthy, active lifestyle, and being back with Nike is a dream come true. One of my biggest regrets was leaving Nike in the first place.”

Agassi, who will be presented by Steve Miller, his longtime friend and current head of his foundation, said giving back never gets old. But for one night, he won’t mind being the recipient of some love for what he has done in the community.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Agassi said. “I’m still working on what I want to say, but I love this city and it allowed me to be the person I am.”

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.

SOUTHERN NEVADA SPORTS HALL OF FAME

CLASS OF 2013

■ Andre Agassi (Tennis) — On the court: Eight Grand Slam titles, 60 singles championships and an Olympic gold medal. More important, his philanthropy in Las Vegas with his prep school, Boys and Girls Club and his foundation to help children in the city of his birth and beyond.

■ Bill Bobier (Basketball) — A high school coaching legend who took Valley High School to four consecutive Nevada state titles (1979-1983). Went 215-100 at Valley and also helped start the high school summer basketball phenomenon in the early 1980s with the Las Vegas Invitational.

■ Pat Christenson (Sports Management) — The president of Las Vegas Events has brought and kept the National Finals Rodeo in town while also luring USA Basketball’s men’s national team to train in Las Vegas. LVE has averaged 39 sponsored events generating a nongaming economic impact of $285 million annually.

■ Stephanie Louden (Golf) — A former Cimarron-Memorial High School star who went on to play at Stanford and was a four-time All-American. She played 11 years on the LPGA Tour and made $734,699. Lives in Texas with husband Mike and son Lucas.

■ Chris Powell (Motor Sports) — The president of Las Vegas Motor Speedway whose facility has generated more than $2.5 billion for the local economy since 1998. Along with the highly successful NASCAR weekend in March, the speedway has branched out to other entertainment, including last year’s Electric Daisy Carnival, which attracted more than 300,000.

■ Dana White (Mixed Martial Arts) — The president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship runs a company based in Las Vegas that is a billion-dollar entity employing more than 200 people and doing more than 30 live events around the world annually. One of the top executives in sports.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL