BARING THE STORY: Former National Basketball Association all-star and occasional guest on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” Detlef Schrempf, all 6 feet, 10 inches of him, lightened up the crowd at Mid-Pacific Institute’s M Club Athletic Hall of Fame Gala at the Ko‘olau Ballrooms Feb. 4 by talking about walking into Makena Beach’s nude section on a trek. “I was hiking on Makena Beach on Maui and all of a sudden everybody is naked,” he said. “It’s unfortunate but it’s always the people who should not be naked. But live and let live.” Detlef also made reference to out-of-shape men playing volleyball. Moving on, he said he had long blond hair when he was growing up and he was a rather wayward youth. “I looked more like a surfer,” he said. Detlef added that his parents knew nothing about basketball, as their culture was soccer. He was not introduced to basketball until he was 13, and then it changed his life, straightened him out and made him self-disciplined. Detlef made three NBA all-star game appearances. He won two NBA Sixth Man Awards, and helped the Seattle Supersonics make the NBA championship finals in the 1995-96 season, losing to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. …
‘BATTLESHIP’ BALL: Damien head varsity basketball coach Kawika Smith plays an alien creature in the May release of “Battleship,” starring Liam Neeson. The “Regent” creature he plays is part of an alien species invasion force that does battle with an international naval fleet at Pearl Harbor. The aliens are all Regents. They look like cyborgs but they all have different characteristics like humans. Kawika was a star at HPU and Damien in the 1990s. …
SERIOUS WINE drinkers are well aware of Duckhorn Wine Company, and that means many of them will be at four Ruth’s Chris Steak House locations in Hawaii March 1 for a wine dinner featuring the famed winery. Participating locations are: Restaurant Row on Oahu, Lahaina Center on Maui, the Shops at Wailea on Maui and the Shops at Mauna Lani on the Big Island. (The wine dinner is not available at the Waikiki Beach Walk location.) The cost is $125, plus tax and gratuity. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Call participating restaurants for reservations. Randy Schoch, who owns the Hawaii Ruth’s Chris and Romano’s Macaroni Grill franchises, arrived in town early this week and departs today. …
THE HONOLULU Theatre for Youth has not forgotten its youngest fans and is presenting the Hawaii premiere of “blue,” ideal for children ages 3 and older, on March 3, 10 and 17 at 9:30 and 11 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Tenney Theatre. It is the story of Blue, who is content in his all-blue world, until he is introduced to different colors. “I hope that this production will give children the courage to try something new,” says director Annie Cusick Wood (no relation), “and a curiosity for the rich world around us.” The production will continue with a tour at libraries across the islands. Check with libraries for scheduling. …
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Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.
