King James builds a castle

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers is building an enormous house in Bath Township near Akron. At more than 35,000 square feet, it’s 16 or 17 times bigger than many suburban homes. Blueprints show the house will have a recording studio, a two-lane bowling alley, a casino, a small theater, a sports bar, an aquarium and a barbershop. There also will be a six-car garage, an elevator and a sweeping, divided staircase leading up to four second-story bedrooms. Until it’s finished, James splits his time between a huge apartment in downtown Cleveland and a four-bedroom house in Medina County west of Akron.

Most of those people are wondering why he’s building a huge house with local families living within 800 feet of his. They can’t figure out why a guy who could easily afford hundreds of acres and complete privacy would build his dream house in the middle of their relatively modest Bath Township neighborhood. They started wondering that in 2003, when LeBron paid $2.1 million for a house there. They really began scratching their heads two years later when he knocked it down to clear the way for something bigger and better. Construction began in August. The house is under roof, but plenty remains to be done, including the exterior walls.