You can add LeBron James to the list of NBA superstars who don’t like Memphis, as the Los Angeles Lakers star absolutely trashed the city during his recent golf outing with the “Bob Does Sports” YouTube channel.
When asked if traveling on the road while playing 41 regular-season games in an NBA season has become an issue for him now that Bron is the oldest player in the NBA at 41 years old with 23 years of league experience, James took a dig at a couple of cities, but gave Memphis an extra diss.
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“A random f—n’ Tuesday in Milwaukee staying at the staying at the f—n’ Hyatt at 41-years-old?” he replied. “You think I want to do s—t in Memphis on a random a— Thursday?”said James.
LeBron does not like Memphis
Out of the NBA’s 30 cities, Milwaukee and Memphis are among the least-favorite stops for many NBA stars because of their small markets, cold weather (Milwaukee), and a lack of nightlife attractions compared to major cities like Los Angeles and Miami.
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While James did not specifically mention any particular reason, he seemed to imply that “Deer District” and the “Home of the Blues” are cities that bore him. However, that’s not the only thing he said about Memphis. LeBron also said the Grizzlies need to move out of the city.
“I’m not the first guy in the NBA to talk about this. We’re all, like, ‘You guys have to move.’ Just go over to Nashville. You’ve got Vanderbilt over there. You’ve got the f——n NASCAR. You’ve got a stadium. Don’t they got a hockey team, too? They’ve got everything,” he added.
When host Robby “Bobby Fairways” Berger said it doesn’t appear like LeBron wants to play for the Grizzlies soon, “King James” unleashed one more criticism at Memphis.
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“Yeah, they know,” he continued. “Their only chance was in 2003 if they would have won the lottery. Give me that. And I might, and I might have pulled an Eli Manning and not showed up.”
Ant also called Memphis a dirty city earlier this season
In fairness to LeBron, he isn’t the only NBA star who has criticized Memphis this season. In February, during an interview with Caleb Pressley on the “Sundae Conversation”, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards also called out the city for having the dirtiest hotel rooms.
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“Especially when we go to Memphis,” said Edwards. “I be like, ‘Damn, my hotel ain’t nothin’ in Memphis.’ That s—t be dirty. I walked in a Memphis hotel one time and had stains and s—t on the bed.”
Meanwhile, Draymond Green doubled down on Ant’s claim about Memphis hotels. And even Stephen A. Smith discussed on his show why it’s not a favorite destination for NBA free agents due to security concerns.
“It’s a great sports town, great fans, great people,” Stephen A. said. “But there’s an element there where cats like Jimmy Butler and others don’t feel it’s the safest environment. I’m talking to the local authorities in Memphis. You’ve got to clean some of that stuff up because it’s dissuasive to NBA players. They have talked about it. I know. They’ve told me.”
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There has been a lot of speculation about the Grizzlies’ future, especially since their lease at FedExForum expires in 2029. However, city and state officials have discussed a $500 million renovation to keep the team in the city, so it’s unclear whether there is a plan to move.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.