King for a day: GHS grad's painting of LeBron gets covered up

It may have been a fleeting image for New York basketball fans but, at least for a while, LeBron James could be scene sporting the blue and orange of the Knicks. Mind you -- the image was a 50-foot painting gracing the court at Rucker Park in Harlem, which has since been painted over by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Remember -- fleeting.

Commissioned by the EBC Entertainers Basketball Classic -- Rucker Park, the portrait, depicting the larger-than-life James charging down the court, ball in hand with the words "Harlem Loves U LeBron," next to it, was painted by 2004 Greenwich High School graduate Kristen Nelson and her boyfriend Erik Sabatelli.

"Initially we thought it was a joke," Nelson said. "Then Erik and I sat down and decided we could do it."

The whole process took about four days according to Nelson and involved taking a small, two-inch picture. That initial photo was sent to Nelson's phone, was blown up on a computer and separated into a grid of square-foot blocks. From there the duo, using only five gallon buckets of black, brown, blue, white and orange tennis-court resurfacing paint, mapped out the painting, added sand to the paint to prevent players from slipping and set about putting brush to canvas.

The painting serves as yet another attempt by Knicks fans to entice James, arguably the highest profile free agent in this year's NBA offseason, to come to New York over other suitors, including Chicago, Miami and New Jersey. But even if James decides to take his services elsewhere, Nelson believes that the whole experience has been a positive one.

"Ultimately I think this whole process will be bitter sweet," Nelson said. "The painting may get covered over and LeBron might decide not to come here, but overall this was a great experence. It gives Erik and I good exposure and is a great addition to our portfolio."