CLEVELAND (AP) - LeBron James is in a bit of a brewhaha over his beer-bottle grab.
On Monday night, James jokingly swiped a beer bottle from a surprised courtside server during the third quarter of Cleveland’s playoff game against the Toronto Raptors and considered sipping it before handing it back. The exchange went viral on social media and James even kidded afterward that he wasn’t much of a beer drinker and would have taken a sip if it had been red wine.
James now said his agent and legal team are upset over Great Lakes Brewing Company’s use of his image with the bottle.
On Tuesday, the brewery retweeted a photo of James holding its signature Dortmunder Gold beer with the caption: “G.O.A.T. with G.O.L.D.” The first set of initials stand for the “greatest of all time.”
James told Cleveland.com that the brewery “is trying to benefit off of me.” James is also aware that the brewery produced and sold a bitter “Quitness” ale when he bolted Cleveland for Miami as a free agent in 2010.
A spokesperson for James declined to comment.
A voicemail left with a spokeswoman for the brewery was not immediately returned.
One thing is pretty clear: James will keep his hands off any beverages in Game 2 on Wednesday night.
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