NBA: LeBron James gear sent to homeless in Florida

CLEVELAND — They're taking the jerseys off their backs for LeBron James. Then tossing them away — for a good cause.

Stung by the NBA superstar's decision to leave Cleveland and play for Miami, Cavaliers fans have been unloading their unwanted No. 23 jerseys, T-shirts and other clothing items bearing James' name at locations around the city. Organizers are shipping the discarded James gear to homeless shelters in South Florida.

"It's like any breakup," said Beau Miller, who began the campaign with three friends. "You want to give all your stuff back."

For the past week, Cleveland fans have been dropping off their LeBron-related items at Yours Truly Restaurants in Northeast Ohio. Miller said he and his friends wanted to turn a negative situation into a positive and that the response has been "extraordinary."

"We wanted something good to come out of this," he said. "We didn't want another 'I hate LeBron campaign.' There's enough of that going around."

— Staff and wire reports