They say nothing in life is free. Unless of course you're LeBron James, in which case everything is free, though that doesn't mean you have to accept it.

A local Boca Raton baker named Alethea Hickman is angered after a birthday cake costing $3,000 she made for LeBron James was rejected by the Miami Heat forward, even though it was free.

Alethea Hickman of Passion For Pastry told WPTV that she was offered some free publicity if she made a birthday cake for James' 27th birthday party at the Shelborne South Beach hotel.

So Hickman, along with extra staffers, made a $3,000 five-tier cake complete with edible gold dust and a crown for free at the request of the managing partner Jared Galbut and marketing coordinator Samantha Rosen of the Shelborne, in exchange for promotion of her brand.

However, Hickman found out on New Year's Day after looking at photos tweeted that her cake was rejected, as it was not up to James' standards.

It just wasn't what was expected, party planner Jared Galbut told the Miami Herald. When LeBron's people saw it, they just didn't want to use it and decided to bring their own cake. I can't tell LeBron James what birthday cake to eat. It's LeBron James, for Christ's sake.

Instead, another cake from a competing baker in Miami was chosen over Hickman's cake, which she doesn't know the whereabouts of.

I don't even know where my cake went, Hickman told the Miami Herald. I was mortified. They had me do it in the middle of the holiday crush and I hired additional people. Someone needs to pay.

According to media reports, Galbut said even though the cake was not used, the Shelborne would not be paying up.

That cake couldn't be worth more than $600. It's flour, eggs and water, Galbut told the Miami Herald.

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