Behind The Bling
A blog/jounral about Chris Webber's Third Annual Bada Bling Celebrity Weekend
By Ronda Racha Penrice
For C-Webb’s Bada Bling Celebrity Weekend, it was once again back to Vegas but, in its third year, Planet Hollywood, instead of Caesar’s Palace, played host. In case you don’t know, C-Webb is Chris Webber, recently retired NBA player, and Bada Bling is his ultra-fab Vegas weekend to raise money for kids underserved by the educational system. This year, he upped the ante by announcing his plan to build his own schools. Yeah, he’s getting Oprah on us. She’s got South Africa and he’s got homecourt.
This year my official title was entertainer coordinator so my job was to assist celebrities and other VIPs. Sounds glamorous huh? On Friday, July 25, when folks started rolling in, I, along with a team of other folks, were posted in front of Planet Hollywood in desert heat awaiting to escort folks into VIP check-in. Oh we started that by 9 am. I even went to the airport to personally greet a few celebs. One of them, hint, plays a mama of a comedian. I was still keeping it together around 10pm because we needed to ensure that Too Short was actually there to perform.
Poker Anyone?
I popped by the Poker Tournament which started at 8pm and it was pretty packed but I don’t know who was holding and folding what (but I do hear NBA player Ricky Davis was doing a great job) because I was super-whooped, and, yes, I do mean whooped. I thought I had succeeded in sneaking away to my room to revitalize my oh so tired feet by wrapping hot towels around them when I got some SOS calls about some celebs and VIPs needing to get into Prive, where the Welcome Party was being held. I showered, dressed and got over but all my folks, including Wendy Raquel Robinson, were cool by then. No I didn’t take a century. Other volunteer staff stepped up but all were not happy. Prive had its own rules. Apparently they included Shannon Elizabeth and music that wasn’t necessarily moving the crowd until D-Nice took control. As a result, there was some not so cool treatment going on but, to be truthful, I missed the drama.
Welcome Party at Prive
At Prive, I spotted Detroit Pistons Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, music manager extraordinaire Johnny Wright (now of Making the Band fame) and Tichina Arnold front row and center for Too Short. He got mad love. It’s the West Coast and Sir Too Short is definitely royalty. His management, however, should have reiterated that it was not Chris Webber’s birthday. It was such a Southwest moment but Too Sheezy was so good all was forgiven. Chris Webber was holding down a section with a crew, including Finesse Mitchell and his lovely fiancé Jessica Santos. Miami Heat player Shawn Marion was spotted in another corner. Comedian George Wallace was even seen making a cameo, as was Jamie Foxx and his super-manager Marcus King. And that was the first night.
Golf, no. Cabanas, yes!
Okay, golf sounds like a lovely idea and I so swear I was going to at least check out Planet Hollywood’s Bali Hai, Golf Club where the golf portion of the weekend, courtesy of Cadillac, was held, but I didn’t make it, not because it started early but because I had to go meet a few more folks coming in as well as do some time at the VIP Cabana area sponsored by XM Radio and Chris Webber’s Sacramento restaurant Center Court with C-Webb. D-Nice was the music maker and it was so good that Terry Crews and his wife Rebecca were doing a little playful dirty dancing by the pool.
Mark Curry, Tichina Arnold, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Jill Marie Jones, Dreamgirls’ Keith Robinson were also among those getting some fun in the sun in before Mr. Webber and other folks returned from golf. Events turned a little somber when my friend, photographer extraordinaire, Johnny Nunez fell into the pool with his camera but thank goodness he was physically alright. The camera, not so much, but Johnny gets the job done and got a new camera in time for the Social Hour and Soiree.
The Main Event
Okay you’ve been to athlete weekends I’m sure and some have been very nice. Chris Webber blows them all out the water. His production team, Nouvelle Roux, creates an ambience that is unmatched. This year’s inspiration for the Soiree was, I do not lie, a Starbucks bag. Regular Starbucks drinkers will remember the dark red one with the design on it. But before I could sit down to a meal, yes, this year I got to sit and eat, I stopped by the red carpet. There I found out some celebs weren’t walking down the red carpet. Former NBA player/ABC announcer Mark Jackson and his lovely wife Desiree Coleman-Jackson were red carpet-shy but I coaxed them into it. Elise Neal, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Clifton Powell, Keith Robinson and Idris Elba did make the carpet. The big man, himself, stopped by and was all smiles with Moses Malone and his dad, Mayce Webber, Sr. He also took pictures with Erika Dates, his lovely girlfriend. Yes, ladies, I did use the g-word.
Raphael
Inside, things kicked off. I must say the Social Hour room was pretty fab. The bar had a graffiti feel with a Chris Webber signature but, okay, that doesn’t excite the average person. What got people rolling though was the hypnotist. He had a group of people leave the room and come back hypnotized where, at command, they danced, laughed and generally acted out for our enjoyment. At my table, Dr. James L. Orrington III, owner of Chatham Dental Care in Chicago, and Damon Clark, who owns www.city-alert.com, one of Chicago’s pioneering web resources for events, there was an argument about whether they were really hypnotized. There was no controversy when Raphael Saadiq performed, however. When he began to stroll down Tony! Tone! Toni! memory lane with hits like “Anniversary,” his back-up singers and a few lead-singer contenders began singing out the woodworks.
Money, Money
Before main headliner Gladys Knight took the stage, the auction, aimed at raising money for The Chris Webber Foundation’s mission to serve children underserved by the educational system, got underway and this is where Mark Curry truly shines. Let’s just say sitting at a table front row and center might not be the best move if you’re sensitive. This year, Finesse Mitchell, joined Mark Curry on stage and, with the two of them on a mission, few pockets were safe. Of the many goodies on sale, one of the actual suits James Brown wore during performances, courtesy of his daughter, Dr. Yamma Brown, who also attended, was among them. The bidding wasn’t as high as Mr. Webber liked so he wisely snatched it up at $25,000. Jill Marie Jones, our beloved Toni from Girlfriends, knows a bargain when she sees it and snagged personal training sessions with fellow attendee Roger Mayweather, uncle and trainer to Floyd Maywether.
Idris Elba was so moved, he offered a job as his assistant for Bone Deep, a heist film he is making with Matt Dillon, T.I. and Chris Brown. He even threw in a date with him to up the ante. Needless to say the package was sold. One of the most ambitious auction items was the opportunity to sit in on a class at Princeton with Eddie Glaude and Cornel West. Mark Curry cut a deal to let two people enjoy the prize for $7,500 each, raising a combined $15,000 for the foundation. Jimalita Tillman, daughter of famed Chicago politician Dorothy Tillman, arranged the item and was on hand to represent Drs. West and Glaude. Another great item was hanging out on the sidelines with Pam Oliver and a catered meal with Nikki Shaw, a former The Next Food Network Star contender who is also the wife of former NBA player Brian Shaw. Chris, who surprisingly loves to cook, even put his culinary skills up on the auction block.
Gladys, Gladys
The main event was Gladys Knight. Nigel Lythgoe, producer of American Idol and a producer/judge of So You Think You Can Dance, heard about Gladys being at Planet Hollywood and showed up to lend his support. Boy, was Gladys Knight worth it! Everybody was on their feet during the entire performance but the best moment was hands down, the finale, “Midnight Train to Georgia”. I don’t think Ms. Knight knew what she was getting when she asked for a few Pips to come and assist her. Chris was among the first ones to jump on stage. He had already given Ms. Knight flowers. Don’t you just hate those women who can sing and cook. By the middle of the song, there were more Pips on stage than band members. Gladys was so gracious to come out again after the intimate crowd showed how much we truly appreciated listening to a living legend.
After the Show, It’s the After-Party
I didn’t know what to expect when I walked into the afterparty at Koi. To be honest, I was a little tired and bed was looking so good. D-Nice obviously wasn’t trying to hear that as he spun one of the best sets I’ve heard in eons. I mean I was transported back to my New York party days and I actually danced y’all. Bada Bling’s athletic coordinator Dana Jones was celebrating her bday and the weekend coming to a close. I went and danced a little with Elise Neal. She started out as a dancer so I was a little out of my league. I saw so many people just having a great time. It was so good until Koi made the sad announcement that it all had to end. D-Nice thought the party was going to 6am and so did those of us enjoying it. I swear I forgot I was tired. After the party, a really cute guy I met tried to teach me blackjack but I had to go to bed. Please note when you volunteer, fun is so limited. I had to get some sleep so I could get up and help get Bada Bling’s special guests from Planet Hollywood to the airport. I had already received a call from Lil Mo making sure that a car was on hand to take her to the airport at I believe 5:30 in the morning.
All Good Things Come To An End
Sunday I arose early but I really didn’t want to. I can’t remember what hour I was there but it was early. And, one by one, they began to leave. Claudia Jordan and Kenya Moore were so content chilling by the pool that they barely made their cars. Wendy Raquel Robinson and Elise Neal left early. Laz Alonso had already planned on staying in Vegas an extra day. Some athletes like the Chicago Bulls’ Joakim Noah, Los Angeles Lakers’ Derek Fisher and recently acquired power forward Memphis Grizzlies Antoine Walker were spotted around Vegas after the event. Other athlete attendees included Philadelphia 76ers Shavlik Randolph, Chris Webber Fab 5 teammate and Minnesota Timberwolve Juwan Howard, and current Phoenix Suns player Matt Barnes were also spotted. I slept all night Sunday and finally made it out on Monday. I hear that people had a great time and though I’m just a small piece of the puzzle, that makes me feel good.  
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