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Maybe Cleveland really isn't LeBron James' kind of town after all.In a decision that will surely send tongues wagging in the NBA -- and particularly in Manhattan -- a Cleveland city commission turned down a request to create a massive mural of the NBA star, on the grounds that the image was really just a giant ad for Nike and in violation of city codes that limit the size of billboards, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The proposed mural would have replaced an existing image of James, covering a 10-story wall of an office building near Quicken Loans Arena, the home venue of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although the city of Cleveland has made exceptions in the past for the existing mural, they felt the new image was more of an advertisement than art.
When asked for comment, Nike provided the following statement to FanHouse: "Nike and LeBron James have a longstanding history of supporting the city of Cleveland through various marketing and community efforts. The new Nike Pro Combat billboard is another way to honor LeBron's status as one of the best players in the game today.
This is the latest flap about so-called "mega ads," which are increasingly going up on high-profile office buildings around the country. In Los Angeles, tenants have sued building owners over problems that crop up -- such as obstructed views and darkened offices -- when these super-sized ads are attached to a building.
The saga in Cleveland is noteworthy because it comes as the entire basketball world waits to see where James, the 24-year-old superstar, will decide to play next year after his current contract with Cleveland expires. For years, basketball pundits have predicted that LeBron, an Ohio native, would leave Cleveland for a larger market such as New York, L.A. or Chicago.
One fact many New York Knicks fans are likely eager to point out to LeBron's representatives: Times Square has always been famous for its billboards.
For more on the Cleveland mural decision, as well as an image of the proposed billboard, see the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
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