Artist paints over twice-vandalized LeBron James mural in Los Angeles

Artist Jonas Never is putting an end to the hate sparked by his mural of James that was unveiled on July 6.

A video of the mural being vandalized for the second time was released, which showed paint being thrown where James' face was painted.

Artist Jonas Never is done promoting the King.

The Los Angeles-based artist debuted his mural of LeBron James on July 6 following his signing with the Lakers, but has been met with criticism and even vandalism since its unveiling.

"I thought I had learned a long time ago to never touch religion or politics," Never said, via ESPN. "I guess it is never touch religion, politics or anyone against Kobe."

The mural, which required over 75 spray cans and 12 hours to complete, was finished last Friday with the help of graffiti specialist Fernando Valdez but was vandalized twice in four days.

The first time, the vandal displayed James' 3-6 record in the NBA Finals and the words "we don't want you" below where James' face was painted.

Read: Cavaliers 'hurt but not bitter' over James to Lakers

A video of the mural being vandalized the second time was released early Thursday morning, showing the vandal throwing paint where James' face was painted.

Never, who also designed murals of the late Anthony Bourdain and Stuart Scott among others, opted to cover the mural with white paint on Wednesday in attempt to put an end to the hate.

 

"I got a ton of support," Never said. "At first when we had the original piece, there was a ton of positivity, but also a ton of like pro-Kobe, anti-LeBron sentiment. [Some] people didn't like it in general, not necessarily the work, but the sentiment that went with it. People had a big problem with the word 'of.' I get where they are coming from.

"This was just for my own fun just being happy that the Lakers were actually going to be talked about again. And I didn't realize that a mural would be [almost] as talked about as much as the Lakers would be."

James signed a four-year deal worth $154 million with Los Angeles at the start of free agency, a move that has been met with mixed reviews and followed by another mega-signing courtesy of the Warriors as Golden State added DeMarcus Cousins to its roster.