When LeBron James bolted Cleveland for Miami one of the most symbolic changes was Nike’s “We Are All Witnesses” banner on the side of a building across from the Q being torn down.
LeBron is back in Cleveland.
Now a 10-story building billboard will be back as well.
It will be a little different but it will be going up soon, according to the Plain Dealer.Images submitted to the Cleveland City Planning Commission on Tuesday show James with his arms stretched, once again, across the eastern face of the Landmark Office Towers, the Sherwin-Williams headquarters complex at the back of Tower City….
Now, it appears, all is forgiven.
On the new banner, James still stands beneath a puff of chalk dust, acting out a pre-game ritual. But this time, he’s not alone. He’s facing a crowd, instead of downtown. There’s no script. Just a simple Nike swoosh.
Of course all is forgiven in Cleveland, where LeBron is the prodigal son returning home — and bringing with him Kevin Love and the likelihood of a title within the next several years.
That same narrative has resonated nationwide — a country that despised three star players choosing their own destiny to play for titles in sunny Miami loves the same idea when you move it to Cleveland. An owner that cried out against super teams during the last lockout — the Cavaliers’ Dan Gilbert — forms his own and it is applauded. The power of the going home story is that strong.
Personally I always liked the banner, glad to see that coming back to Cleveland, too.