STUDIO CITY (CBSLA) — Even as LAbron fever rages in the Southland, some Lakers fans are so upset, they’re putting out hits out on the “King James” agitprop. The paint on the LeBron James mural on the side of Baby Blues BBQ in Venice was barely dry, when vandals took cans of paint to the homage, apparently by Lakers fans who feel slighted by the team’s recent $154 million acquisition — and who maybe wanted an extra $300. A Twitter user who went by the handle @BenOsaze and the name “Lakers Fanbase” put out the following call Friday, since deleted from the site: “I’m offering $300 to anyone who destroys this mural and shares a video. The mural is located at Baby Blues BBQ – 444 Lincoln Blvd, Venice, CA 90291 #Lakers #Kobe #LeBron”. The user’s account has either been suspended or deleted, as it no longer appears on the site, but this being the internet, many people recorded it for posterity. Lakers Fam Please do your part and Report @BenOsaze He led a group & vandalize the recently painted LeBron Mural. He should no longer be part of the @Twitter Community. pic.twitter.com/bm5YXVAbWP — UNTOUCHABLE (@KingJamesSZN) July 8, 2018 By Sunday, the mural, which was finished Friday, had already been fixed, albeit with a slight but significant change: “of” was taken out of the mural, which originally read “King of LA.” The Kobe hashtag might have had something to do with that concession, since it appears Lakers fans are adamant about who the true “King of LA” is, according to Yahoo News . Baby Blues’ security camera caught several people vandalizing the painting, spraying “We don’t want you,” “LeFraud,” “No King” and “3-6,” which the site said is a “a jab at James’ career NBA Finals record.” One of the artists, who goes by the moniker “Jonah Never” tweeted a photo of the updated mural, saying he took off “the little scribbles and the offending ‘of.’” Ruined?? Don’t worry… the little scribbles and the offending “of” are gone. pic.twitter.com/SRXp3cyUlO — Jonas Never (@never1959) July 8, 2018 Below is the original for comparison. Welcome to LA @KingJames #thekingofla … by me and my boy Menso @The7thLetter pic.twitter.com/nBTlowZH3p — Jonas Never (@never1959) July 6, 2018 Artist Menso collaborated with Jonas Never on the project. However, if you thought this was the only LABron-versus-Lakers-and-Kobe-mural-fight story this weekend, you’d be mistaken. Twitter user Andrew Perez posted a video last week of his ultimately successful attempt to down a LeBron decal someone had placed on a mural of Kobe. In a very meta fashion, he throws his shoe at the wall of the Shoe Palace in L.A.’s Fairfax District 10 times, before his sneaker coup de gras on LeBron’s airborne image. Saw this blasphemy of LeBron’s face taped on top of #mambaonmelrose , so I had to do what was right. Thank you for coming @KingJames , but @kobebryant is still the king of LA. pic.twitter.com/VbayCu0OxO — Andrew Perez (@andoneperez) July 4, 2018 Whatever side you take in the LAbron debate, that’s dedication.
Originally posted here:
‘LABron’ James Mural Vandalized, Restored With Minor Change, Possibly After Twitter User Offered $300 ‘To Anyone Who Destroys It’
