Photo by Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images(LOS ANGELES) — As LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers make their only trip to Los Angeles this weekend, one Lakers fan is turning up the city’s recruiting efforts of the four-time MVP.
ESPN reportsd that Jacob Emrani, a personal injury attorney and Lakers season ticket holder, put up four billboards around Los Angeles in an effort to convince James to join his team via free agency. Similar billboards were also erected in Cleveland, to convince James to stay, and in Philkadelphia.
The team is not involved with the billboards in any way. That after being fined twice for tampering charges.
Each of the billboards bears the hashtag #LABron. One reads “Cleveland & Philly, You Can’t Compete with L.A.” and another reads “FORGET THE PROCESS, WE WIN BANNERS.” The latter is a reference to the Philadelphia 76ers rebuilding efforts that have been nicknamed The Process.
Another billboard, Emrani says, features retired Lakers jersey numbers — including those of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson — with James’ number 23 next to them.
Emrani says he has over 50 billboards around Los Angeles, but wouldn’t say how much he paid for the LeBron-focused billboards. He plans on keeping them up for the month, however.
“This is a first. If this goes well, I’m planning to do the same thing for Paul George sometime down the road,” Emrani said. “What I am hoping to accomplish is for LeBron to know how badly he is wanted here. … This is going to be the best situation here. We bring him the weather, we bring him his two houses, all of his business partners are out here. His future.”
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