The Cavs will replace their giant LeBron banner with one of a huge statue
The Cleveland Cavaliers can’t really replace what they lost when LeBron James decided to leave town again. But they can redecorate.
A little over two months after James agreed to a four-year, $154 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, prompting the removal of the iconic Nike banner of a chalk-tossing James with “CLEVELAND” on the back of his uniform from the wall across the street from Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavaliers announced Friday that the city of Cleveland has approved a new giant-sized design to hang outside the Sherwin-Williams global headquarters: “a mosaic of one of Cleveland’s most recognizable landmarks,” the Guardians of Transportation statues that line the sides of the Hope Memorial Bridge, comprised of thousands of photographs submitted by fans and residents.
“The artistic interpretation” — which will appear next to the text “ALL FOR THE LAND,” the word Cleveland and the Cavs’ “C” logo — “symbolizes that ‘we are ALL protective guardians of THE LAND and stand united in the pride we hold for our city and community,'” the Cavs said in a team statement.
Here’s a look at an artist’s rendering of the planned 110-feet-tall, 210-feet-wide banner:
A little different from the one we came up with …
… but, hey, reasonable people’s tastes can differ.
Those interested in having their photos be part of the project can submit them online before a deadline of 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 21. The banner’s expected to be installed on the Ontario Street wall facing the Q “in early October,” in time for the start of the Cavs’ 2018-19 NBA regular season.
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Dan Devine is a writer and editor for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoosports.com or follow him on Twitter!
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