There are certain cities that professional athletes love traveling to on road trips, or playing in as the home team. Somewhere near the beach. New York City. Los Angeles. Las Vegas. Big markets with big money, big nightlife scenes and big marketing opportunity.
On the other side of that spectrum there are cities that players hate, probably because they perceive it as boring or with few opportunities away from the game.
They are usually quiet about the latter group as not to offend anybody or capture the anger of an entire fan base.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was not quiet about it this week when he sounded off on what it is like to play in Memphis against the Memphis Grizzlies. He hates it. A lot. So much so that he is urging them to move elsewhere within the state of Tennessee.
LeBron James sounds off on playing in Memphis
James made the comments while golfing on the Bob Does Sports YouTube show, and covered a lot of ground on his lack of desire to play in Memphis.
After joking that he might have pulled an Eli Manning and not shown up had the Grizzlies won the NBA Draft Lottery in his draft year, he really went to town on the city.
“I’m f–king 41 years old, you think I want to do that s–t being in Memphis on a random a– Thursday? I’m not like the first guy even to talk about in the NBA. Like, we all like you guys have to move. Go over to Nashville… their only chance for me to play there was in 2003 if they would have won the lottery. And I might have pulled an Eli Manning and not showed up.”
The big takeaway from this: LeBron James is apparently not a fan of good blues music or barbecue. Or Hyatt hotels.
He then suggested moving the team to Nashville, which in his words, “has everything.”
The Lakers played one game in Memphis this season back in October and do not return there this season. With the Grizzlies already being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, they will not go back there until next season. Whether James is playing for the Lakers or another team next season, his first trip to Memphis will probably not result in a warm welcome.
The Grizzlies have played in Memphis since the start of the 2001-02 season. Prior to that they spent six years playing in Vancouver.