The stature of Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James was forever cemented when he led his team to the franchise’s first NBA title last June. To acknowledge that feat, an iconic banner that’s been a part of downtown Cleveland since he returned (and before he left in 2010) will be getting an updated look in time for the start of the season.
The Associated Press is reporting that the new banner should be up by this Friday, four days before the Cavaliers open the 2016-17 campaign. While no sneak peak is currently available, the new banner is expected to keep the image of James performing his former pre-game move: the chalk toss.
James’ uniform on the banner will include the gold patch that will be on the back of all the Cavs players’ jerseys this season. That patch will include the Larry O’Brien trophy, the hardware representing winning the NBA title.
The banner that’s being replaced has long been a source of local pride and sparked backlash from fans when plans were announced to temporarily take it down during the Republican National Convention back in July. Instead, Sherwin-Williams, whose offices are located within the building on which the banner rests, chose to donate $150,000 to the LeBron James Family Foundation.
While the flexibility in displaying a banner can obviously be changed, a more lasting tribute will inevitably come when James decides to end his career. That should be in the form of a statue that will be located in front of Quicken Loans Arena.
