Love is in the air along the banks of Lake Erie, as evidenced by the larger-than-life, 10-story banner of LeBron James that will soon hang from the towers and decorate the skyline of downtown Cleveland.
Several media outlets have reported a city design review committee has fast-breaked a plan to allow the Nike sponsored display to be erected before the start of the 2014-15 NBA season next month. In terms of size and depth, the tribute is meant to rival the legendary, black-and-white “Witness” mural of James that once hung across from the Quicken Loans Arena where he will resume his first-ballot trek to the NBA Hall of Fame this season after once calling that same arena home for his first seven NBA campaigns.
“I think it was genius to put Cleveland on his back,” committee member Jeffrey Bogart told Cleveland.com of the plan to have James draped in a jersey that bears the city’s name as opposed to his own. It’s no secret that the 29-year-old, four-time league MVP remains conscientious about ingratiating himself with all the fans of his home state after being violently assailed by many after he bolted for Miami and South Beach four seasons ago.
“To have Cleveland (on the back of his jersey) — it’s about Cleveland, it’s not about one person,” added Bogart.
Having The King back on his native throne and his likeness boldly hanging outside Quicken Loans are just a few of the once familiarities set to be making a return appearance within the ranks of Cavs’ Nation this season.
Word is James also plans to return to the routine of doing the rosin toss he made famous in his early days with the Cavs but largely disavowed while he was with the Heat. It’s all part of the healing process James seems to have internalized, between himself and a handful of still chagrined Cavs fans.
But in the end, all the hoopla will take a backseat to James’ strategic efforts to put himself in the one place he views as being most conducive to his goal of hoisting his third NBA title in five seasons. Besides landing James, the Cavs also traded for all-star forward Kevin Love this summer, adding the two to a roster that already boasts FIBA World Cup MVP Kyrie Irving and third-year star-in-the-making Dion Waiters.
“I believe Kyrie can be the best point guard in the league very soon, and Kevin Love is already in the discussion as far as being the best power forward in the league,” James recently marveled, adding “winning is the number one thing and everything else will take care of itself.”
Indeed. For if the trifecta of James, Irving, and Love truly comes to bring such distinction to the ring-starved fans of Cleveland, they could soon find odes and busts of themselves sprouting up all across the state of Ohio.
