Bath Township, Ohio, police plan to keep a watchful eye on LeBron James during Game 7 of the Finals, but the NBA superstar will not be anywhere in sight.
Police Chief Michael B. McNeely said extra officers will be on duty Sunday night into Monday morning to monitor any large crowds that might gather outside LeBron’s Bath Township home should the Cavs win Game 7.
When James announced that he was returning to play with the Cavs in 2014, McNeely said hundreds of fans gathered outside of the home to party and long lines of traffic stretched in and out of the western Bath Township residential development where he resides with his family.
McNeely said he fully expects a repeat “flash mob” outside of the home should the Cavs pull off the win Sunday night so he has called in extra officers and also plans to be out there himself to help direct traffic.
Like the 2014 crowd, the chief said, he expects the Sunday crowd would be respectful of James’ neighbors and just want to join in the celebration.
“The only problem we have is people who stop in the middle of the road to take a selfie in front of the house,” he said.
James pays for the off-duty officers who typically patrol the home’s property.
McNeely said the township will pick up the tab for the extra officers Sunday night that will be on standby to help keep cars moving through the neighborhood and assist with crowd control along the street.
“We try to minimize the impact on the neighbors,” he said.
Akron Police spokesman Lt. Rick Edwards said they are confident of two things — a Cavs win and a quiet night.
Edwards said the department will monitor any Cavs parties, but does not plan to deploy any additional officers on Sunday night.
“We hope we get to celebrate,” he said. “We just ask folks to party respectfully.”
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