CLEVELAND -- LeBron James has never been guarded like this.
With armed security personnel and the Cavaliers' mascot,
Moondog, watching over their safe arrival, 10,000 LeBron James
souvenir bobblehead dolls were delivered in an armored truck to
Gund Arena on Monday.
While the real James was in Chicago getting ready to play the
Bulls, the limited-edition bobbleheads were stored away before
being given to fans attending Wednesday night's game against the
Atlanta Hawks.
Like everything else bearing James' likeness, name or jersey
number on it, the bobblehead has already caused a stir among
collectors eager to get their hands on one of the 7-inch replicas
of Cleveland's 6-foot-8 rookie star.
Two days before it's even available, the giveaway bobblehead is
already drawing bids of nearly $30 on eBay.
"The bids on that are going to be crazy," said Brian
Williamson, a bobblehead collector from Pittsburgh. "I don't think
you'll be able to get one for under $50 because of how popular
LeBron is."
There are already several James bobbleheads available on the
retail market. The Cavaliers' team shop at the Gund sells five
different versions, but this one is unique because only 10,000 will
be handed out.
"There is a whole sector of collectors who want just the
giveaways," said Bill Miko of ImageWorks, a consulting firm who
helped the Cavaliers plan the promotion. "Last year, people flew
to Houston just to get the Yao Ming giveaway. I expect there to be
people on the streets after the game trying to buy the bobbleheads
from people as they come out of the Gund."
Upon entering the 20,000-seat arena, fans will be handed a
voucher they can redeem at one of three designated areas to get
their bobblehead. Team president Len Komoroski said the
distribution points will be stationed by security guards as well as
uniformed police officers to keep things orderly.
"We want to make sure nobody tries to run off with any of
them," he said.
Late last season when the team announced it was returning to its
original wine-and-gold color scheme, overzealous fans tore through
boxes during a T-shirt giveaway. This time, the Cavs are taking
necessary precautions to guard against a similar problem.
Because of the giveaway, Komoroski is expecting fans to arrive
earlier than usual for the 7 p.m. (ET) tipoff. Doors will open at 5:30.