Saturday, April 4, 2009 | 11:17 a.m.
Beyond the Sun
True basketball fans can never get enough of it, even amidst the Final Four action that is currently dominating the sport’s landscape.
While Las Vegas may not have an NBA team of its own (or a team in the Final Four, for that matter) true basketball fanatics can further indulge their passion at Planet Hollywood with the new Hoop Hall Experience.
A portable, scaled-down version of the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., Hoop Hall Experience brings the game’s history and heroes to Vegas.
Inside the confines of the resort’s Mezzanine, ticketholders will find Wilt Chamberlain’s jersey, Kobe Bryant’s shoes, and a piece of the flooring from which Michael Jordan took his last NBA shot.
The exhibition, which opened today, is the latest symptom of the city’s basketball fever.
The display is 17,000 square feet of memorabilia, trivia and information split into six zones – “bounce,” “timeline,” “pep talks,” “greatest moments theater,” “big shots” and “circle of steel.”
It all begins with an anthropological journey, tracing the sport’s earliest beginnings back to that muggy summer day at the Springfield, Mass., YMCA where basketball was born. From there, “HHX” traces the sport’s development, triumphs and stars.
An equal opportunity exhibition, HHX gives womens basketball its fair share of court time, with displays dedicated to WNBA stars and relevant memorabilia.
Interactive stations scattered throughout the exhibit test ticketholders’ basketball knowledge, while videos keep those who prefer to keep reading to a minimum entertained. In addition, a small theater displays an entertaining and informative five-and-a-half minute film near the end of the self-guided tour.
The exhibit is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and is currently slated to run for the next three months. Tickets, which are available at the PH box office, are priced at $24.50 for adults and $17.50 for children (ages 4 to 12). Local adults get a $3 discount, while military and seniors 65+ get $2 off the full price.
Catering to the young and modern crowd, Planet Hollywood is a one-stop shop for entertainment with its massive shopping mall, slew of restaurants, spacious casino and clubs.
The ambiance of the casino is retro-chic meets high-tech with black granite floors throughout and colorful LED lights throughout the space. The theme carries into the 100,000 square-foot casino with 250 flat screens topping off slot machines. The casino is also home to 87 tables, a sports book and a poker room.
There's also the Miracle Mile Shops, one Vegas' largest malls, with 140 stores including BCBG Max Azaria, bebe, Urban Outfitters and The Discovery Channel Store.
Following an afternoon of shopping, guests can satisfy their appetites at one of the gourmet restaurants in Planet Hollywood, like the non-traditional approach to steakhouses at Strip House or check out the exotic Far East motif at KOI restaurant and lounge. And if guests are still looking for more, they can spend the after hours at Privé, Triq or Krave nightclubs.
Perhaps one of the resorts biggest attractions came in March with the addition of "Peepshow." The naughty twist on the story of Little Bo Peep is modern-day spin on the run-of-the-mill Vegas topless review. The "Peepshow" stage has seen visiting celebs like Scary Spice Mel B, "Dancing with the Stars" Kelly Monaco and Playboy's Holly Madison.
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