USA - There's no place like home for LeBron

CLEVELAND (Off the Court) - USA Basketball and NBA star LeBron James' new house in the Bath Township neighbourhood will contain a two-lane bowling alley, a recording studio, a casino, a theatre, a sports bar, an aquarium and a barbershop.

The Akron Beacon Journal, the local paper in James' home town of Akron, has seen plans of the 35,440 square feet property.

James will have by far the biggest property in the relatively modest Bath Township neighbourhood near Akron and 20km south of Cleveland whose NBA side, the Cavaliers, are his employers.

Surprisingly no basketball court or swimming pool have been included in the original plans for the property which is due to be finished in 2008.

Other features of the design are a six-car garage and a limestone sculpture of James.

Some of James' neighbours are annoyed at some of the attention their hitherto quiet neighbourhood is getting.

Tom Bader, who graduated from the same St Vincent-St Mary High School as James, told the Akron Beacon Journal: "People who come to photograph it (the house) are disrespectful.

"They park their car in the middle of the street - with their doors open! And you're sitting behind them! All I wanna do is go home after a hard day's work."

However, Bader is glad James is staying in the area.

"He's great for Cleveland," said Bader. "I'm proud to have him. I have no issues with LeBron James at all. The problem is the baggage that he unintentionally carries with him.

"My children obviously think it's cool," says Bader, laughing. "They can hardly wait to go over and play basketball with him.

"I said: 'Honey, I don't think that's going to happen. Besides that, don't ever, ever invite LeBron over to our house to play ball because he's going to twist his ankle and I will have my house eternally egged'."

PA Sport