Billboard near LeBron's house conveys a tough message

CLEVELAND - Less than a month ago, billboards and signs posted between Cleveland and LeBron James's hometown of Akron implored him to stay.

Now one local marketing company wants to make sure James, who was born and raised in Akron, knows he may be welcome there, but he's no longer home.

A billboard says "Welcome Home LeBron," but there is a big red 'X' over home.  The second line poses a question: "How does it feel to be a sidekick?,"  a reference to James' decision to join Dwayne Wade on the Miami Heat.  Sidekick is underlined in red. The message then ends with "Go Cleveland!" in gold letters.

The Omada Group, a marketing company in Akron, paid $3,000 for the billboard, which is on Route 18 eastbound between I-71 and I-77, about two miles from James' estate in Bath. The company paid about $3,000 for the billboard, which will be up for about a month.

Matthew Palumbo, one of the principals at the Omada Group, said he hopes the billboard sparks a grassroots campaign to let James know exactly where he stands in his home state since his decision to leave.

James is scheduled to return to Akron for his annual bike-a-thon charity event next weekend.

He could pass the sign on his way home from Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport.