CLEVELAND -- As LeBron James ponders his next move, some local pastors are doing their best to make sure the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar knows how his hometown feels.
On Wednesday, the United Pastors in Mission of Greater Cleveland announced a press conference in which they would call for both a statue and a street name to honor James. The UPM consists of more than 100 pastors and ministers from across the Greater Cleveland region "working toward positive change in the community." According to a press release, James' name "emerged as a top contender in their list of people who have impacted greatest Cleveland in the area of role model for children, family and the community at large."
As a part of its release, the UPM unveiled a rendering of a potential James' statue, which depicts him throwing down one of his signature one-handed dunks outside of Quicken Loans Arena.
The UPM said it plans on asking local officials at both the city and state level to help make the statue happen. Earlier this year, an Akron man named Aaron Carey began a GoFundMe seeking $1 million to help kickstart having a James statue built outside of his alma mater, St. Vincent-St. Mary.
"It would be cool, not only for myself, but for my family and all the people that had anything to do with this journey thus far," James said of the statue project in Akron. "I'm appreciative of even the thought.”
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