Overview
- James, in a YouTube golf video posted Thursday, urged the NBA to move the Grizzlies to Nashville and joked he would have refused to play for Memphis if drafted in 2003.
- After Saturday questions from reporters, he doubled down, naming Milwaukee and then Cleveland among places he dislikes for travel and stressing he was talking about hotels and logistics.
- Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo, former Memphis assistant and now Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic, and Mayor Paul Young defended the city, with Young inviting James to visit.
- Media figures criticized the remarks as insensitive, with ESPN’s David Dennis Jr. calling the stance gentrifying and Stephen A. Smith faulting the setting and tone.
- Players have aired similar complaints this year about Memphis hotels, while reports cite low attendance and sparse arena-area development, yet a move looks unlikely given lease ties at FedExForum through at least 2029.