![\"LeBron](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2269275446_f96579-e1775294103195.jpg\")
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LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers takes a free throw against the Washington Wizards in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 30, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. <\/p>\n
Veteran Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> forward LeBron James<\/a> is facing severe backlash for his recent remarks on the city of Memphis and the Grizzlies organization.<\/p>\n During his appearance on\u00a0\u201cBob Does Sports\u201d\u00a0<\/a>earlier this week, James encouraged the Grizzlies to relocate their franchise to Nashville and even said he would have refused to play in Memphis if the Grizzlies had the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m [expletive] 41 years old, you think I want to do that [expletive] being in Memphis on a random [expletive] Thursday,\u201d James told Bob while riding a golf cart.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not like the first guy even to talk about in the NBA. Like, we all like, \u2018You guys have to move.\u2019 Go over to Nashville.\u201d<\/p>\n Coaches Call Out LeBron James<\/p>\n Two NBA head coaches \u2014 the Memphis Grizzlies<\/a>\u2018 Tuomas Iisalo and the Toronto Raptors<\/a>\u2018 Darko Rajakovic \u2014 took serious issue with James\u2019 comments.<\/p>\n \u201cI can say from my own perspective that I have the complete opposite \u2014 180-degree perspective on that,\u201d Iisalo said, via ESPN.<\/a> \u201cThe Memphis where we have arrived less than two years ago has been very warm. Very welcoming.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll I can say is Memphis is the right place for the Grizzlies,\u201d Iisalo added.<\/p>\n Rajakovic, who was an assistant with the Grizzlies before taking the job with the Raptors, said he had only positive experiences during his time in Memphis.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t care what the rest of the world thinks. I love the people of Memphis,\u201d Rajakovic said after his Raptors beat the Grizzlies, 128-96, on Friday night.<\/p>\n \u201cI love the food, I love every single time I come over here.\u201d<\/p>\n LeBron James Called a \u2018Gentrifier\u2019<\/p>\n James also faced a lot of criticism from ESPN analysts\u00a0Stephen A. Smith and David Dennis Jr., with the latter going as far as to call James \u201ca gentrifier\u201d for suggesting that the Grizzlies would be better off in a more urbanized city like Nashville.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is a gentrifier,\u201d Dennis Jr. said of James on ESPN Radio.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt is behavior that I would\u2019ve thought was unbecoming of somebody like LeBron and all of these other hoopers who have all of these bad things to say about Memphis.\u201d<\/p>\n .@DavidDTSS<\/a> on LeBron\u2019s comments about moving the Memphis Grizzlies to Nashville<\/p>\n \u201cHe is a gentrifier\u2026it is behavior that I would\u2019ve thought was unbecoming of somebody like LeBron and all of these other hoopers who have all of these bad things to say about Memphis.\u201d <\/p>\n Through an X post, Dennis Jr. also reminded James that the National Civil Rights Museum is located in Memphis, the city the Lakers star apparently hates.<\/p>\n Elsewhere, Smith blasted James for disrespecting the city of Memphis in front of his \u201cwhite friends\u201d on the golf course, while reminding the Lakers star that nearly 63 percent of the city\u2019s population is African American.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026To say so flippantly amongst a bunch of white dudes in a golf course, knowing that the cameras are rolling and videoing you without any regard for what kind of effect that would have on a black populace is problematic,\u201d Smith said, via Basketball Network.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cEspecially when I don\u2019t know if it was your sneakers or whatever it was you finished promoting months ago about black history and Martin Luther King and civil rights.<\/p>\n \u201cI think you wore sneakers or something commemorating all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n James has yet to respond to the backlash.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tSai Mohan<\/a> covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Lakers\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t