Hollywood Week: LA28 Olympics Update, LA Clippers Fined, Lionel Messi Retires, Tiger Woods
- Details
- Category: Haute This Issue
- Published on Saturday, 05 September 2026 09:55
- Written by Janet Walker
The Los Angeles Clippers, owner Steve Ballmer, and NBA star Kawhi Leonard, have all been named as participants in a circumventing cheating scandal that aided Ballmer in bypassing the salary cap by funneling endorsement deals to Leonard.
LA28 Olympics Updates
With the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics less than two years away, which expects to receive upwards of 20 million visitors during the July 2028 Olympics and August 2028 Paralympic Games, the event planners are now facing the daunting task of transporting the millions effortlessly across 250 miles of highways.
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The city defining event, in a metropolis once known for gridlock traffic, transportation delays, and high accidents, which will leave a permanent impression on the athletes, visitors, and a global audience, expected to reach as high as 25 million international households and impact future tourism dollars.
As LA 28 event and city planners begin the final phase of how to leave a favorable impression on visitors and Angelenos alike, the hundreds of miles of roadways surrounding the city and into Orange County, will become permit only.
"The restricted lanes are expected to include major freeways that cut across Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties and connect game venues with the Olympic villages, where athletes and coaches will stay. Instead of navigating congested freeways and roads, those granted exclusive permits would be allowed to cut through traffic under what is known as the 2028 Olympics' "Games Route Network," The Los Angeles Times reported.
This includes both local streets and highways, as the LA 28 Olympics will be use more than 40 venues.
Tickets to attend any of the games are being sold in rounds, with the second round opening in August 2026, and again in 2027. Current tickets are available here.
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The Los Clippers Fined For Cheating
The Los Angeles Clippers, owner Steve Ballmer, and NBA star Kawhi Leonard, have all been named as participants in a circumventing cheating scandal that aided Ballmer in bypassing the salary cap by funneling endorsement deals to Leonard.
"The findings announced Wednesday, the result of a nearly yearlong investigation conducted by Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, a high-powered New York law firm, determined the Clippers broke NBA rules by initiating off-court income opportunities between Leonard, their seven-time All-NBA forward, and four companies doing business with the team: Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton Insurance," The Los Angeles Times reported.
While this is not the first time in league history that a team has been found guilty of circumventing the player's salary cap, the penalties are the harshest with the Clippers losing the first round draft picks for five years, beginning in 2029, and continuing through the 2033 NBA draft.
Clippers team owner Steve Ballmer, whose estimated net worth is $156 billion, was fined $30 million and suspended from all activities for one year as the investigation concluded that the former Microsoft CEO was directly responsible for helping Kawhi Leonard seek off court salary opportunities.
NBA star Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000 for knowingly participating in endorsement deals that circumvented his salary cap, who has been traded to Toronto and released this statement, "I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family, [. . .] I entered into my contract with the Clippers as well as the agreements in question in good faith, fully committed to fulfilling my obligations and with no knowledge of any intent on anyone's part to circumvent the salary cap. [. . .] As I return to Toronto, I am focused on what I can control, closing this chapter, and moving forward with a clean slate."
Others caught up in the cheating scandal include Clippers Business Operation President, Gillian Zucker, suspended one year without pay; Clippers President of Basketball Operations, Lawrence Frank suspended six months without pay; and the entirety of the Los Angeles Clippers personnel and office management team are subject to monitoring for five years.
The Los Angeles Clippers have been knocked down, but the team is not out. The preseason begins October 4, 2026 with the Clippers facing Golden State Warriors in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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Lionel Messi Retires
Argentinian soccer great Lionel Messi announced this week, on the social media site Instagram, his intent to retire from the sport that made him and international superstar and brought him a resurgence during the recent World Cup.
Messi, 39, stated in the posting that he his immediate reaction after the loss to Spain, in the World Cup finals was to retire.
"There isn't much time left, and different chapters are coming to an end. This is one that hurts me a lot," Messi wrote. "I love, I loved, and I will always love being part of the national team. I gave everything I had, and I don't have anything more to give," The Washington Post reported.
For Messi fans, his retirement from Argentinian league play frees him to concentrate on his role with Inter Miami CF, Miami's major soccer league, where he is dazzling fans with superstar prowess and has scored 18 goals in 19 appearances. He recently wowed the crowd with a 4-goal performance against Montreal.
Messi's contract with the Miami CF runs through the 2028 season.
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Tiger Woods Has His Day in Court
Golfer Tiger Woods will lose his rights to drive for the next five years, after agreeing to a plea deal stemming from a March 2026 crash, in which the Master's Cup winner clipped a truck and subsequently passed a sobriety test, but refused a urine sample.
The most recent traffic accident was the latest for the pro golfer, was certainly not his first, as the combination of pain killers, and excessive speed have proven to be a lethal combination for the golfer.
In 2009, Woods crashed into a fire hydrant, and while he was found at fault the celebrity latitude shielded him from facing charges. The accident coincided with the revelations of his many infidelities.
A 2017 Juniper Florida police found Woods asleep in his vehicle, and determined he was under the influence. Although he passed a breathalyzer test, he explained his condition was caused by a combination of pain medications. He completed a DUI program.
A rollover on the Pacific Coast Highway in Ranchos Palos Verdes, in February 2021, due to excessive speeding, Woods was clocked at 87 MPH in a 45 MPH zone, resulted in severe injuries for Woods, the lone occupant in the vehicle.
"Aerial video of the crash scene showed Woods crossed over a median, the vehicle struck a tree, and it was sent into the air, landing in brush nearby. [. . .] Investigators said they believed Woods accidentally stepped on the accelerator when he meant to press the brake pedal. Woods suffered extensive injuries from the crash, including significant damage to his right leg and ankle. His bone broke through the skin, and doctors performed immediate emergency surgery. He also shattered his talus bone in his ankle," The New York Times reported.
Spotted driving a golf cart, after having his license suspended, Florida's 19th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl, when asked if Woods could drive a golf cart appeared without a response, and simple answered "I'll get back to you on that," before posting on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' X page, that "Tiger Woods can drive a golf cart on a golf course."
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Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade. A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five award-winning screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," a non-fiction narrative, "Days, Times, Seasons, and Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," and "Songs of Freedom: A Collection of Biblical Teachings," which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Authors Guild, the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.
