Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James drives against the Indiana Pacers during Game 7 of a first-round playoff series. (AP)
LeBron James hinted he would drop by Blaze Pizza in Los Angeles on Tuesday, prompting hordes of fans to descend upon the shop hoping to get a glimpse of the newest Los Angeles Lakers star.
But he didn't show.
Blaze Pizza, a fast food chain in which James is an investor, had announced it would celebrate James’ arrival to the Golden State by giving away free pizzas at select Southern California locations, The Associated Press reported. James subsequently tweeted, “Haven’t been to a pizza party in a minute.”
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The tweet, which seemed to suggest James might make an appearance at the Culver City location, sent hundreds of fans lining up around the store.
Children from Culver City Teen Camp are seen holding signs as they wait for the arrival of LeBron James at Blaze Pizza. (AP)
Los Angeles Lakers fans were already waiting in line around noon for promised free pizza that would be handed out between 2 and 5 p.m. (AP)
Janet Raines was the first fan in line. She said she got there at 7:30 a.m. and waited for hours.
“If he doesn't show up, I won't be disappointed. I know he's busy, trying to spend time with his family before the season starts,” Raines said.
Tweets showed fans holding up signs welcoming James and a few people rushed toward nice cars thinking James was in one of them. He wasn’t.
Blaze Pizza co-founders Rick and Elyse Wetzel and Tom Cook showed up sporting “LABron” t-shirts too. Rick Wetzel expected to give away more than a thousand pizzas at the event.
James didn’t end up attending the event. Videos on Instagram showed him training for next season.
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The three-time NBA champion is an investor of the pizza chain. He finalized a four-year, $153 million deal with the Lakers on Monday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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