There is another attraction, said Leonard Armato, Shaquille O'Neal's former agent and now commissioner and chief executive of the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals tour: "Beautiful people wearing small amounts of clothing."
Armato, married to volleyball pro Holly McPeak, said O'Neal rented a house in Manhattan Beach even after he bought one in a gated section of Beverly Hills. The 7-foot-1, 350-pound O'Neal would ride his custom-built bike along the Strand (the paved beach-side path that runs from Hermosa Beach to Manhattan Beach), waving back at people who recognized him, which presumably meant everybody.
One day, while O'Neal and Armato were sitting on the balcony at Armato's house, pro volleyball player Sinjin Smith came by. Smith and O'Neal headed to the beach and took on all comers in volleyball.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Tuesday, July 22, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 42 words Type of Material: Correction
Athletes in Manhattan Beach: An article in Sunday's Section A about the unusually large number of professional athletes living in Manhattan Beach gave the wrong first name for a member of the New York Rangers. He is Chris Drury, not Rob Drury.
"Most athletes are outdoors people," said Dodger infielder Nomar Garciaparra, who lives in Manhattan Beach with his wife, soccer player Mia Hamm. "You look outside and it's a beautiful day, and you feel guilty if you stay inside. You wake up in the morning, the sun is out and you see the beach."
Unlike many other communities that attract the wealthy, Manhattan Beach has few gated enclaves, and most homes come with little acreage, as tear-downs have been replaced by two-story homes built almost lot line to lot line.
Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny moved out of town because he needed more land and didn't like the feeling of neighbors on top of him, Garciaparra said.
Nancy Doyle, principal of Robinson Elementary School, said one of the attractions is that athletes are treated like everyone else when they show up at PTA meetings and other school events. "They're just regular young families looking for a place to raise their children," she said.
With pro athletes so commonplace, many players can blend in. "It's pretty private. There are a lot of wealthy people, so you get left alone," Donovan said.
And, inevitably, even athletes run into athletes.
Donovan bumped into Laker Chris Mihm while both were buying pumpkins. LaBarbera was at a sushi restaurant when he spotted Garciaparra and Hamm walk past with their twins. He saw Walton at Target.
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jeff.gottlieb@latimes.com
