

Statue of LeBron James set to be erected in his hometown
Israeli sculptor Omri Amrany has been selected to create a likeness of the legendary basketball player in Akron, Ohio.
You – yes, you – could be the reason basketball legend LeBron James gets a life-size statue of himself in his hometown in the near future.
All you need is ... cue Dr. Evil face ... $1 million.
LeBron James during Game 4 of the Cavaliers-Celtics playoff series in Boston. (Photo: Jim Rogash
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Getty Images)
A diehard fan of King James, fellow Akron native Aaron Carey, started a $1 million GoFundMe page to get his hero a statue in Akron. He says a larger marketing push is coming later.
“We want to do this with the fans,” Carey, who attended the same high school as James, told the Akron Beacon-Journal. “We want fans to be able to thank LeBron for what he has done for Akron and the Cavs.”
He's also selected an artist to design the statue: renowned Israeli-born sculptor Omri Amrany, who's created likenesses for Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and other sports greats.
Omri Amrany and his famous Michael Jordan statue. (Photo: Courtesy photo)
Amrany, who now lives in Illinois, has built more than 165 sports statues in his career – and he claims he's not even much of a sports fan. "I am the fan of the world," he told From The Grapevine. "I watch sports for the human achievement. As an artist, as a philosopher, I'm always looking for that."
Two of Omrany's statues: Baseball great Ernie Banks (left) and Jerry West, whose silhouette was the basis for the NBA logo. (Photo: Courtesy photo)
As for the current movement to put LeBron in bronze, Amrany is reportedly game. He "loved the idea of doing a statue in Ohio" for the hoops star, and has already designed a rendering of the statue for use on Carey's fundraising page. (The GoFundMe, by the way, has raised only $1,550 as of May 29. Get your head in the game, people!)
LeBron and his Cleveland Cavaliers will play the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Game 1 is Thursday in Oakland, Calif. It will be the 8th straight year LeBron has played in the NBA Finals.
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