Cavaliers F LeBron James and his associates are "upset" over Cleveland-based Great Lakes Brewing using his likeness to promote its Dortmunder Gold Lager and "would consider legal action," according to a source cited by Joe Vardon of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. The reasons are "both personal and professional." In '10, after James announced he was leaving Cleveland as a free agent for the Heat, Great Lakes produced "'Quitness,' which it said was 'a dry hopped India pale ale that leaves a bitter aftertaste, perfectly describing the mood of Cleveland sports fans these days.'" James on Monday grabbed a bottle of Dortmunder from a server in a humorous moment during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. On Tuesday, Great Lakes "tweeted a cardboard cutout of James holding the Dortmunder Gold and announced discounts on the beer at the pub." The company has since taken down the tweet, but another is "still up of James holding the beer with the caption: 'G.O.A.T with the G.O.L.D.'" Vardon reported it was "not immediately clear if Great Lakes had planned anything more." James: "This is about the last thing I'm trying to worry about right now, my agent and my legal team will take care of it, but yeah I know (Great Lakes) is trying to benefit off of me. And I heard they were the same company that made all those 'Quitness' beers, and now they're trying to benefit off me this way? Yeah, it's pretty funny" (CLEVELAND.com, 5/3).
