LeBron James Disses Memphis, Says Grizzlies Should Relocate to Nashville

 

LeBron James recently sparked controversy with blunt comments about the city of Memphis and the Memphis Grizzlies during a casual golf outing on the YouTube show Bob Does Sports.

The 41-year-old Los Angeles Lakers superstar was discussing the physical and mental grind of NBA travel when he zeroed in on Memphis as one of the least appealing road destinations.

LeBron's Comments

While chatting about how in-season travel wears on him more with age, James said:

“I’m fing 41 years of age. You think I want to do s in Memphis on a random ass Thursday? … Staying at the fing Hyatt at 41 years old, you think I want to do that s?”

He added that he is “not the first guy in the NBA to talk about this,” claiming many players feel the same way and have urged the Grizzlies organization to relocate. James specifically suggested moving the team roughly 200 miles east to Nashville, Tennessee’s capital and largest city. 

“We all, like, ‘You guys have to move. Just go over to Nashville. You got Vanderbilt over there, you got the f***ing NASCAR, you got a stadium. Don’t they got a hockey team? Like, they’ve got everything.”

When asked if he would ever consider playing for the Grizzlies, James joked that their only shot would have been winning the 2003 NBA Draft lottery and selecting him No. 1 overall — and even then, he “might have pulled an Eli Manning and not showed up.”

The remarks came during a lighthearted golf video but quickly went viral, igniting debate across sports media and social platforms.

Reactions

The backlash was swift. Memphis Mayor Paul Young addressed the comments, defending the city’s vibrant culture, music heritage, barbecue scene, and resilient community. Local sports radio and fans pushed back, highlighting the Grizzlies’ dedicated supporters and arguing that big-market bias from stars like James overlooks what makes smaller cities special.

On the other side, some NBA observers and fans agreed with James, pointing to Memphis’s well-documented challenges, including high crime rates in certain areas and limited nightlife or entertainment options compared to larger cities. Podcasts and social media clips amplified the discussion, with some framing it as LeBron simply voicing what many veterans think about midweek road games in smaller markets.

Stephen A. Smith and others criticized the delivery, noting the casual setting and potential impact on Memphis’s Black community and local economy.

As one local outlet put it: LeBron has joined a chorus of NBA voices who believe the Grizzlies “got to move.” Memphis, for its part, isn’t going anywhere without a fight.