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LaMelo Ball gets LeBron billboard treatment in move to Ohio

LaMelo Ball is back in the United States to play high school basketball at the Spire Institute, in Geneva, Ohio, and the media circus is picking up right where it left off.

Within a day of his announcement, digital sports content producer Overtime erected a billboard on I90 in the 17-year-old Ball’s honor – but it looks familiar. Take a peek for yourself:

LaMelo Ball’s Ohio billboard. (Courtesy of Overtime)
LaMelo Ball’s Ohio billboard. (Courtesy of Overtime)

Located just minutes from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ home court of Quicken Loans Arena, the tribute is a play on Nike’s iconic LeBron James “We are all witnesses” campaign which featured a 10-story billboard picturing James’ outstretched wingspan. It was taken down in 2010 when he left Cleveland for the Miami Heat.

That billboard was replaced with a new one in 2014 when James returned to the team. The second edition simply featured James and his wingspan from behind wearing a jersey reading “Cleveland.”

The stint at Spire, which has only about 45 students, will be the 6-foot-7 senior’s second high school experience. Ball originally went to Chino Hills High School in California – where he once scored 92 points in a game – before leaving to play pro ball in Lithuania. While his NCAA eligibility remains a question mark at this point, he says still wants to play at a top-level college. He was committed to UCLA before playing internationally.

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