It all starts Thursday afternoon -- just 48-hours from now. The clock is ticking on the 56th Annual NBA All-Star weekend with the big game set for 5PM PST on Sunday, to be telecast around the world to 210 countries in 40 languages; an audience of more than 250 million sports fans. It's incredible exposure for Vegas as far away as China.

Even our hometown stars will shine among all the big name sports athletes. Wayne Newton will be an assistant coach to local star chef Bobby Flay from Caesars Palace slam-dunking with Jamie Foxx, Nelly and James Denton, plus 15 other celebs. Its for the McDonald's All-Star Celebrity Game with our former UNLV star Greg Anthony as main West team coach. Even hometown hero Shawn Marion, former UNLV player, will be at Dillards in the Fashion Show Mall for a Friday afternoon signing. Two of our local heroes will do the honors with the National Anthem. First up, Clint Holmes for the All-Star Challenge game and then Mirage headliner Danny Gans will tackle the Star Spangled Banner in some of his many voices for the big Sunday tip-off.

Headquarters for all the action revolves around the All-Star Jam Session. Stay all day and play! But remember every one of the East and West Conferences players will be staying at George Maloof's Fantasy Suites in the Palms, because the beds there are specifically made for the 6'6" + VIPs. And you can bet a buck they'll be in all the Palms hot spots: RAIN, ghostbar, N9NE, MOON, Nove and the Playboy Club.

Mandalay Bay will transform 400,000 square feet of space into the NBA All-Star Jam Session -- an interactive basketball experience featuring 30 basketball-themed attractions. Fans will go into overdrive at the All-Star Jam Session collecting autographs and meeting NBA and WNBA players. The Jam Session also will include an official NBA Store, a Slam Dunk Court, a 3-point Shootout Court and Kids Zone. In addition, fans can watch the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, the D-League All-Star Game and Rookie Shootarounds. The NBA All-Star Jam Session will be open: Thursday, Feb. 15 from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 16 from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 17 from 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Monday, Feb. 19 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Some of the other highlights from an extraordinary list of events include Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade hosting the official NBA All-Star party Friday, at rumjungle, with special live performances by Interscope's hot new artists including Rich Boy and Slim Thug. Superstar Shaquille O'Neal will host an amazing party night in MIX atop the adjoining THEHotel on Thursday. Next night Shaq is back at rumjungle with LaDainian Tomlinson.


Across the Strip at MGM, the fun gets started tomorrow night when Studio 54 kicks off All-Star Week with a Tux & Tennis Shoes event, Veteran NBA legends James Silas, Julius "Dr. J" Erving, George Gervin and Clyde Drexler will host performances by The O'Jays. Then Saturday and Sunday, two back-to-back party nights with one of the most revolutionary NBA players of all time; Magic Johnson. His Players Party on Saturday night will be with new Denver Nuggets superstar Allen Iverson with hip-hop artist Biz Markie and the music of Kid Capri. Then Magic will host the All-Star Game after party with none other than our good friend Flavor Flav who's hit reality show "Flavor of Love" runs in tandem with our 'Fame Games' hit on VH1. Up at Treasure Island, Dallas Mavericks star Devean George will bring a slew of celebrity friends for his Club 3300 party. Next door at JET on Friday night in the Mirage stand clear for two mighty men as they combine forces. Diddy himself will make a special appearance at NBA VIP Tracy McGrady's bash for Adidas. From 12 noon to 2pm on Saturday at the ESPN Zone in NYNY NBAS legends Greg Anthony, Bill Walton and Willis Reed are just a few of the stars to sit for fans at a Q&A session and autograph signing.


The center fountain of Caesars Palace should shut down on Friday and Saturday so that sports anchors Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley don't get wet. The huge camera platform for their Turner Sports 'Inside the NBA' show will broadcast live at 5pm from there with remotes from LeBron James celebrity poker challenge underway from the Empire Ballroom

COMMUNITY CARAVAN
NBA All-Star 2007 will not only showcase the world's greatest athletes playing the world's greatest game, but will also celebrate the NBA's tradition and commitment to social responsibility with more than 20 NBA Cares events taking place throughout Vegas -the most the league has done at any previous All-Star Events a will take place in local community centers, Boys & Girls Clubs, schools and other neighborhood venues. This week of touching the lives of the Las Vegas community will culminate with the NBA Cares All-Star Legacy project, when the league and its partners dedicate a Learn & Play Center that will include improvements on an expanded library, technology center and athletic facilities.

The NBA Cares Community Caravan will include: Today (Feb. 13) NBA FIT - Partnering with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, the NBA will launch NBA FIT, the league's new health and wellness platform, at the YMCA of Southern Nevada with a series of basketball clinics and workshops about the importance of kids leading an active, healthy and safe lifestyle. Also today, Gatorade and Nike, will host hundreds of children from Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA member leagues at a series of skills and fitness clinics at Nellis Air Force Base Boys & Girls Club and Mirabelli Recreation Center.


Tomorrow, perfectly timed with Valentine's Day love, the NBA and Pitney Bowes will be working with Habitat for Humanity to construct a house for a local family. Also tomorrow, several current WNBA players will host 60 Vegas children at Clark County/Desert Breeze Community Center for an event highlighting the WNBA and its Be Smart-Be Fit-Be Yourself program, which encourage teens and women of all ages to learn more about their bodies and the importance of physical fitness and self-esteem. Then it's the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Basketball Clinic where some of the country's best wheelchair basketball players, who make up the National Wheelchair Basketball Association All-Star basketball team, will host a clinic at Doolittle Community Center for 20 hometown junior wheelchair athletes. Their all-star wheelchair basketball players will meet on Center Court at the All-Star Jam on Thursday for their big game.

Also Thursday, members of the NBA family and special guests such as Ronald McDonald, will visit with children at Sunrise Children's Hospital distributing gifts, including Build-A-Bear Workshop Teddy Bears. After that The NBA and Nike will unveil a newly refurbished basketball court at Lied Memorial Boys & Girls Club with basketball clinics for more than 350 local kids.

On Friday, some of the NBA's top young stars will join our hometown hero Andre Agassi and students from the tennis legend's prep school to dedicate the facility's brand new gymnasium, which will host the practices for the Rookies and Sophomores as they prepare for the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam. Six thousand of them will crowd the Thomas & Mack Center for the Youth Jam match-up.

On Saturday the NBA, along with Toyota will unveil a new NBA Cares Learn & Play Center at Mabel Hoggard Elementary School. The project will include extensive refurbishment of the school's library and technology center and the donation of computers by Lenovo as well as books from Scholastic, furniture, reading materials from Encyclopedia Britannica, and the creation of indoor and outdoor places for kids to play.

In addition to the events in the Las Vegas community there will be many activities during All-Star events at the Thomas & Mack Center and at NBA All-Star Jam Session highlighting the league's commitment to the community. Jam Session will host the NBA Cares Read to Achieve Activity Area presented by Toyota featuring players, celebrities and local authors encouraging kids to develop a life-long love of reading. Now for the highlights from the full schedule and hopefully I've not overlooked anybody! This is what we refer to as ...

ROBIN'S ROYAL RUNDOWN

WED FEB 14, Valentines Day
- The O'Jays perform with NBA legends Clyde Drexler, Julius "Dr. J" Irving at Studio 54.

- Our CineVegas Film Festival provides the perfect setting for a romantic and fun date this Valentine's Day with actor Dennis Hopper hosting a charity screening of the celebrated basketball film, "Hoosiers," at the Brenden Theatres at the Palms Casino Resort All proceeds will be donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas' Hollywood HEART program, The movie won Dennis an Academy award nomination for Best Supporting Actor!

THURS FEB 15
- Shawn Marion now of the Phoenix Suns but onetime a UNLV Running Rebel, will be host a NBA Kick-Off party at the Voodoo Lounge in the Rio. At the Empire Ballroom Miami heat's Gary Payton, Drew Goode n from Cleveland Cavaliers host. Allen Iverson does his "Welcome to Vegas" bash at ICE.

- Michael Jordan, host his Hoopology celebrity party, with a charity poker tournament

FRI Feb 16
- Following our Star-award on the walk of fame to Toni Braxton at Brenden movie theaters in the Palms, I'll also emcee the red carpet for the MVP film premiere with a slew of NBA players past and present attending. Then Shaquille O'Neal and AKON will show at The Palm's RAIN nightclub for a special "Welcome to Vegas" party.

- The McDonald's All-Star Celebrity Game features James Denton, Nelly, Taye Diggs, David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy, Nick Cannon and Bow Wow amongst others airing live on ESPN.

- LeBron James is scheduled at the Light in the Bellagio. Magic Johnson and Allen Iverson are set for Studio 54 and Dwayne Wade for Sports Illustrated at rumjungle in Mandalay Bay. Russell Simmons is hosting at OPM in Caesars, The Rat Pack Party hosted by Jermaine Dupri, Nelly and Pharrell Williams, is at the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood. Studio 54 at the MGM has Ladies Night Out with LL Cool J. Nick Cannon and Complex Magazine host the Body English, Hard Rock party with promised appearances by LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson. LeBron James hosts Kenny Smith's poker party at the Empire Ballroom. Vince Carter and Mark Wahlberg should show at Risque in the Paris. Following their Orleans Arena concert Tabu Ultra Lounge at MGM Grand: hosts the Blackeyed Peas After Party

SAT Feb 17
- While All-Star Jam continues on at Mandalay Bay the All-Star Saturday Challenge is at Thomas & Mack.

- Those amazing Harlem Globetrotters will play against the NY Nationals & Dennis Rodman's All-Stars at the Orleans Arena.

- Carmelo Anthony, Floyd Mayweather, Nelly, Lil Wayne will be at Aladdin/Planet Hollywood while Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria and boyfriend Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs will party at PURE.. At the rival TAO in The Venetian Jay Z and LeBron James will team up.

SUN Feb 18
- It's the 2007 All Star Game at Thomas & Mack -- the first ever in NBA history to be played in a city that doesn't have a franchise team ... YET! Maybe a big announcement from Commissioner David Stern and Mayor Oscar Goodman by game time? My fingers are crossed!

- Cedric the Entertainer kicks the day off with a comedy brunch at Aladdin/Planet Hollywood.

- There's a slew of after the big game parties: Diddy does it best in RAIN at the Palms, Gary Payton, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, Kanye West, L'il Jon- are set for OPM nightclub in Caesars Palace when it hosts the Official Baller's Ball. LA Laker forward Lamar Odom will team with the NBA's only female recruiter, model sportscaster Bonnie Jill Laflin for the JET nightclub afterparty. Magic Johnson's NBA All-Star Game After-Party hosted by Flava Flav rocks at Studio 54 in MGM. Jamie Foxx's All-Star Party holds court at the Empire Ballroom. As if all that is not enough at the Icehouse Lounge is the West Side Story hosted by Sacramento King's Ron Artest and Coco Marie with Gary Payton, and Amarie Stoudamire.

ALL STAR COCKTAIL
With all this glitz and glamour, taking a break will be mandatory, so BOA Steakhouse at Caesars Palace Forum Shops has created the ultimate taste of temptation with its all-star cocktail. The $200 a shot drink has Remy's Louis 13th cognac, Navan, vanilla syrup and fresh lemon sour with cherry and orange twist. Each day Thursday through Sunday with All-Star Jam continuing on next Monday too, we'll give you a highlights reminder of the key NBA events in our regular Luxe Life columns but meantime enjoy this special Luxe Life edition. {Print it and keep it as your reference for the next five, sizzling hot sports days!)

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