Gregg Popovich said giant LeBron James billboard outside of his hotel was 'horrifying'
It didn’t take long for billboards featuring LeBron James to pop up across Los Angeles once he announced he was signing with the Lakers this summer — especially around the Staples Center downtown.
Many popped up over night, and his presence looking over Los Angeles has only grown as the new NBA season has kicked off.
Nike with the massive LeBron James x Lakers billboards blanketing LA Live across from Staples Center pic.twitter.com/4m81JNAxFD
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) October 20, 2018
LeBron James has a new Beats by Dre billboard in Los Angeles.
Beats became the official NBA headphone partner this season. During the 2017-2018 season, the NBA generated an estimated $1.12 billion in sponsorship deals. pic.twitter.com/boCEOgfNtH
— Spotted (@SpottedInsights) October 22, 2018
The new giant billboard with him putting on the Beats by Dre headphones, though, took one person by surprise.
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who was in Los Angeles on Monday to take on the Lakers, was staying in a hotel across the street from that billboard — which he said scared him to death.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich on LeBron James & his Beats billboard in LA: “It was horrifying seeing LeBron’s face outside my hotel room… He’s already big and now he’s monstrous. I was scared to death.” pic.twitter.com/mzBEC0LXkl
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) October 23, 2018
“It was horrifying to see LeBron’s face outside my hotel room,” Popovich said, via Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated. “It was a big picture of him. Last night and all day today I gotta look at this guy putting his headphones on. He’s already big, but he’s monstrous. I was scared to death. I was scared to look out my window.”
Popovich was then asked if he asked the hotel to switch rooms.
“He wasn’t that scary.”
If nothing else, it seems James and the Lakers have found another way to get into their opponents heads well before they even step foot into the Staples Center.
More from Yahoo Sports:
• Jeff Eisenberg: What now for Rae Carruth?
• ‘Decoy’ Flacco stands, watches rookie’s first NFL TD
• Terez Paylor: Jags can no longer hide their Bortles problem
• Charles Robinson: Why the NFL wins when players are divided