Remember all the way back to yesterday, when police cars were spotted outside LeBron James's home, leading to all sorts of frenzied speculation? As it turns, the presence of those officers actually wasn't a coincidence—his team requested extra off-duty officers for the Bath, Ohio spread specifically for Thursday and Friday.
Here's what Michael McNeely, chief of police in Bath Township, told us today:
LeBron employs Bath PD Officers off-duty at his residence. On Thursday his company requested additional staffing for Thursday and Friday. That staffing was provided and paid for by LeBron's company. They indicated there was going to be an announcement.
As for the announcement?
We were made aware this morning of an announcement. We used the same operational plan for the on-duty staff that was used four years ago. Our mission was to permit traffic flow in and out of his neighborhood as well as maintain order. The neighborhood has approximately 80 homes. As of 3:35 p.m. EST it has been a success.
So, as with the speculative frenzy over Dan Gilbert's private plane making its way to Miami this weekend—which Gilbert vigorously denied meant anything, but which actually, as it turned, did—it seems that the internet tea leaves did mean something after all. We'll keep that in mind for the next time LeBron hits the market.
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