LeBron James' New House Has Barbershop, Casino, Bowling Alley...but No Basketball Court?

Basketball Phenom LeBron James Builds a House Fit for a King

Paula Neal Mooney
Today Bob Dyer of the Akron-Beacon Journal got his "King James builds a castle of a home" piece smack dab on the front page of my local paper.

And it's no wonder: Even though us Ohioans are used to LeBron James -- some see him about town, others have pics crowding their bureaus of LeBron's days playing for St. Vincent-St. Mary -- or "St. V" as they call it around these parts -- we still are hungry for all things LeBron James.

LeBron James' new house is an object of fascination.

It first started in 2003, as Dyer notes, when LeBron James bought a home in beautiful Bath Township for $2.1 million. I remember the day I sat in a conference room at the Akron-Beacon Journal downtown as a woman announced that LeBron was having that house razed to the ground, saying she knew where it was located.

Within seconds, a reporter quietly tipped out of the room to follow up on her tip, and all of us reader panel participants chuckled.

A home befitting a king...
Indeed LeBron James' new home sounds like royalty. At 35,440 square feet, Dyer notes that it's only 10,000 square feet smaller than our local Best Buy. That really gives you some perspective.

Yet it doesn't look gaudy, or as selfish as some monstrosity that LeBron could've built from his balling bucks. Funny, LeBron James' home plans have yet to list a basketball court, but a nice, sleek or Boston Garden-type parquet floor must be in the works. Where else would King James practice when away from the Quicken Loans Arena -- better known as The Q.

It's going to have a barbershop on the lower floor right next to the bowling alley. A garage large enough to fit six cars -- I wonder if that includes the silver Hummer LeBron first received that had me rubber-necking at every HumVee that pranced by me? No, I think he got rid of that one...

LeBron's head
Maybe the most self-aggrandizing feature of Lebron's new manse will be the bas-relief (I had to look it up: A sculpture in which the figures project slightly from the background) limestone sculpture of James' head on an outer wall.

LeBron James' chiseled (literally) features will sport his trademark headband akin to a circular laurel wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves encircling Apollo's crown in Greek mythology.

Indeed, the ancient Greece wreaths were awarded to athletic victors, and this new home of LeBron's definitely spells a long journey from the two-bedroom, subsidized-housing flat at Spring Hill Apartments LeBron shared with his mama just a half decade ago...

Keep out
That seems to be the message to the rude visitors who've already begun gawking at LeBron James' new house, even though it won't be finished until 2008. Fine by me, I'll wait till I'm personally invited.

Published by Paula Neal Mooney

Paula Neal Mooney has been published in various national magazines, such as Writer's Digest and other parenting publications. She has been writing online since 2005, and focuses on the areas of Christiani...   View profile

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  • deneen 12/16/2010

    ithinkhehastherighttodowhathewantsbuttherealissueishelethisteamsdownthatgavehimtherebest.Thatswhathappenswhenyouwantitallujustforgeteverybodyelsethatstoodbyhisside.IthinkitisasinforwhathedidbutwewillcomearoundjustwaitandseegoCavs

  • jacarlin 7/3/2010

    i dont kare wat people say bron bron iz da bestsest lol but i do think he should got to anotherr team cuz mo williams iz loozin it i wus watchn nba playoffz playback the otrha............ day bronz da best

  • heart23 7/1/2010

    lebron stay in cavs, you need only a better and bigger shooting guard teamate, maybe its joe johnson, lets go man

  • jake 6/12/2010

    man bron bron losing it

  • FoSho 6/3/2010

    Let Lebron do him cause if he wants a ring than money isn't a issue and the rest of you cleveland fans go get some tissues, cause thats how he will get one and stop hating. FoSho a true Laker... now go eat a d*^k.

  • Bo Dollar 6/2/2010

    Lets talk facts... Lebron QUIT in game 5-6, he did not even show up... the heart of a wimp and the attitude of spoiled upper class kid...he should change his number, he is doing MJ a disservice keeping it....

  • The Foundation Group 5/23/2010

    Lebron James will unfortunately never get a ring.... He's a hell of an athelete, but you people will see for yourselves... He has the money to buy a a ring though, or maybe Kobe could lend him a FEW....

  • JO JO 5/23/2010

    Stay in Cleveland Lebron, bring this city a championship. Don't be like so many players today and "buy" your championship, earn it!

  • lulu 5/17/2010

    why lebron james dnt go in lakers or boston,he wll never have ring i feel sorry for him, he play very good, he needs to do somethg, he deserve ring lol

  • miles 5/12/2010

    go to hell

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