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| Michael Jordan & Joseph Domingues |
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| Bruce & Brody Jenner |
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| Will Smith & Michael Phelps |
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| Jayne & Chevy Chase |
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| Wayne, Janet-Jones & Trevor Gretzky |
Friday
night, sports and entertainment stars including Michael Jordan, Will Smith, Don
Cheadle, Bruce & Brody Jenner, Chevy Chase, Michael Phelps, Julius “Dr. J”
Erving, Jerry Rice and Wayne Gretzky among dozens of others gathered at ARIA
Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 12th Annual Michael Jordan Celebrity
Invitational Celebration.
The
star-studded annual gala marks a night of celebration kicking off the two days
of exclusive celebrity golf competition at Shadow Creek in the name of
charitable fundraising. Stars arrived on the red carpet in droves, stopping to
smile for cameras as they met Joseph Domingues, a Make-A-Wish “wish kid” who
fulfilled his dream of meeting MJ earlier in the day. Joseph was able to meet
many of his idols at the event, including Michael Phelps (who gave Joseph some
pointers on how to walk a red carpet), Marcus Allen, Stuart Scott, Roger
Clemens, Vince Coleman, Jonathan Ogden, Ron Harper and Jerome Bettis.
At
the gala celebration inside ARIA, celebrities mingled while enjoying gourmet
nosh from incredible ARIA restaurants including Jean Georges Steakhouse, Sage,
bar MASA, Tetsu, Sirio Ristorante, Lemongrass, Blossom & Javier's. Guests
also sipped craft cocktails from multiple bars sponsored by Ciroc and Moët
Hennessy.
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| Michael, Yvette & Will Smith |
To
enjoy the evening’s entertainment, Jordan sat front-and-center by the stage
with fiancée Yvette Prieto, where he was joined by pal Will Smith, whom he
hugged upon arrival.
The
crowd also enjoyed a surprise show by Blue Man Group, who emerged from the
crowd to dazzle guests with their immersive audiovisual comedy show, and a live
performance by GRAMMY Award-winning artist John Legend, who admitted he was
feeling “star struck” amongst his company for the evening. The soulful singer
serenaded attendees with his hits including “Green Light” as he played piano.
Comedian/singer Wayne Brady headlined entertainment for the evening, delivering
his signature interactive freestyle sketch comedy as he accepted storyline
suggestions from the audience. Brady launched his hilarious performance with a
“Stuck In an Elevator” skit, a topic suggested by Will Smith, whom Brady
jokingly referred to as the “Fresh Prince” to the delight of the audience.
Brady incorporated insider jests at various celebrities into his standup show,
which was co-hosted by Jonathan Mangum.
CityCenter
President & CEO Bobby Baldwin welcomed the elite crowd to ARIA Resort &
Casino and introduced “His Airness.” MJ took the microphone to thank his
friends, sponsors and volunteers for all of the hard work put in to make the
charitable tournament a huge success. The champion wished his competitors good
luck, but remarked that he was looking forward to winning come Sunday.
Later
in the evening, the party transformed into a pop-up nightclub with R&B, EDM
and hip-hop beats spun by DJ Irie. Celebs hit the dance floor into the early
morning hours and NFL legend Jason Taylor was even spotted ascending the DJ
booth to spin a few tracks for his friends.
Photo
Credit: Getty Images Entertainment, Isaac Brekken/Bryan Steffy
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