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Fans start fundraiser for $1M LeBron James statue

By Alex Butler

May 21 (UPI) -- LeBron James said he is thankful after learning about a movement for a $1 million statute of himself to be built in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

The four-time NBA MVP spoke to reporters on Monday during Cleveland Cavaliers shootaround at Cleveland Clinic Courts.

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"First of all, thank you," James said. "It would be cool not only for myself, but for my family and all of the people that had anything to do with this journey thus far. So [I'm] just appreciative of even of the thought. That means a lot."

James also said he didn't have a particular pose in mind for the bust.

The GoFundMe campaign for James' potential statue had $255 of its million-dollar goal as of Monday afternoon. Aaron Carey, an Akron native, started the campaign. His brother played with James on an AAU team. Carey said he partnered with Dr. Corttrell Kinney to spearhead the project.

Carey also sought out the help of sculptor Omri Amraney for the project. Amrany -- who sculpted the iconic statues of Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- completed a rendering of James' statue.

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He also said he met with Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

The first 15 donors to give at least $30,000 will receive a limited-edition miniature replica of the statue, according to the GoFundMe campaign.

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