City of Cleveland approves new LeBron James banner

The city of Cleveland's planning commission approved the artwork for a new LeBron James banner to be hung downtown.

The city of Cleveland's planning commission on Friday approved the artwork for a new LeBron James banner to be hung downtown, according to the Associated Press.

The 10-story banner will hang across the street from Quicken Loans Arena and is expected to be installed before the Cleveland Cavaliers' home opener Oct. 30 against the New York Knicks.

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The banner had been approved Thursday by a Cleveland design review committee and went in front of the planning commission Friday morning.

"I think it was genius to put Cleveland on his back," design committee member Jeffrey Bogart said Thursday, according to Cleveland.com. "To have Cleveland -- it's about Cleveland, it's not about one person."

The new banner essentially replaces the one that hung from the Sherwin-Williams Co.'s headquarters when James previously played for the Cavaliers, which read "We are all witnesses." That banner was taken down when James left for the Miami Heat in 2010.

James announced this summer that he was returning to Cleveland to play for the Cavaliers. He signed a two-year contract with the team.

- Ben Estes