PaperCity Magazine

December 2016 - Dallas

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38 MATCH POINT By Christina Geyer. Photography Danny Bollinger. A few weeks after the conclusion of the U.S. Open in New York, Jessica and Dirk Nowitzki hosted a tennis tournament of their own, a bit closer to home. To raise money for Dirk's namesake foundation, The Dirk Nowitzki Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic was held at the newly minted $11 million SMU Tennis Center. While fi ery John McEnroe didn't show, there was plenty to talk about on the court that Sunday, as pros in attendance ranged from Andy Roddick to Ben Stiller, Mark Knowles, JJ Barea, Harrison Barnes, and Boris Kodjoe. The night before the match, the gracious Nowitzkis invited tennis-savvy friends for dinner at the Joule hotel penthouse. Lara Beth Seager set the tables with thousands of tennis-ball-shaped lights and studded a backdrop with more than 2,000 tennis balls. In a surprise performance, Grammy Award- winning musician Ben Harper — one of Dirk's favorites — took the stage for a performance, then auctioned off two of his guitars. Charlie McKinney and Thomas Hartland-Mackie duked it out in a bidding war for the instruments. In all, $80,000 was raised to help the Nowitzki Foundation support childhood well-being, health, and education. Seen: Which Wich owners Courtney and Jeff Sinelli (Courtney played in the tournament, while the couple's wiches fueled players all day); Nancy Rogers; Jan Miller and Jeff Rich; Jaclyn Harper; Stiller's wife, actress Christine Taylor; Kristin Becker and tennis-pro husband Benjamin Becker; Sue and Jimmy Gragg; Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle; and Donna Brittingham. Jaclyn & Ben Harper, Dirk & Jessica Nowitzki Lara Beth Seager, Jonathon Beck Stephanie & Blair Baker Dawn & Mark Knowles Marshall & Tonya McKinney Kristin & Benjamin Becker Ken & Fay Moraif Jeff & Courtney Sinelli Christine Taylor Ben Stiller Ben Harper Kristina & Jamahl Mosley, Donna & Rick Carlisle Harrison Barnes, Brittany Johnson

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