The Memphis Grizzlies’ purchase by a group that includes former basketball star Christian Laettner eliminates one of the teams on Anaheim’s radar screen. Nonetheless, Honda Center operator Henry Samueli’s chances of landing an NBA franchise to go along with his hockey Ducks may be improving. The Insider hears that U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl has quietly put his Milwaukee Bucks on the market. The Bucks, with an expiring lease in the outdated Bradley Center, easily could relocate. And if a ballot measure to fund a new arena in Sacramento goes down big Nov. 7 as many predict, speculation will increase over a possible move by the Kings …
Chris Cox, more than ever a denizen of Washington, D.C., since leaving Con-gress to take over the SEC, returned to Newport Beach for a weekend visit and a surprise 54th birthday party. While Cox’s wife Rebecca hid about 60 people at their Harbor View home, his pal and USC Delt frat brother Pat Fuscoe kept Cox occupied at the Great Park (a plausible diversion, as Cox played a key role in the sale of the former El Toro Marine base and Fuscoe is head engineer of the park conversion). The surprise worked, leaving Cox uncharacteristically at a loss for words …
The guy never stops: The night before he was honored with the UCI Medal, lawyer/investment adviser Doug Freeman worked as a volunteer usher at the Pacific Symphony pops concert. Then at the awards gala, he did some emceeing before turning the program over to Chancellor (and resident standup comedian) Michael Drake. More than 800 filled the Bren Events Center, raising a record $1.5 million-plus. The other honorees: UCI Med Center staffer Julie Boyle, philanthropists Dr. Edward and Helen Shanbrom and The Irvine Company’s retired chief planner Ray Watson …
Former UCI Chancellor Ralph Cicerone, now prez of the National Academy of Sciences, returns to campus Nov. 6 to speak on climate change. Call (949) 824-9336 …
As God and OC Harley-Davidson’s Bill Taylor are his witnesses, EE RR got a hole in one at Strawberry Farms,third hole, 140 yards, using an 8-iron and Titleist ProV1 golf ball with a Pacific Life logo. Tiger Woods has had 18 holes in one and First American’s Don Kennedy has had nine, but they’ve also played more golf than EE RR …
Speaking of great athletes, Jackie Joyner-Kersee keynotes the Girls Inc. of OC annual dinner Friday at the Island Hotel. Call (949) 646-7181 …
If it’s possible, the OCBJ’s Sheldon Ascher is even more upbeat than usual: Daughter Alexandra has married San Clemente businessman Trevor Lund …
The Wall Street Journal featured Aram Bassenian of Bassenian/Lagoni Architects in Newport Beach as one of the four “most influential architects you’ve never heard of”,production architects who churn out mass-produced homes: “If Southern California sometimes looks like Tuscany, that’s partly because of Aram Bassenian.”
