![\"LeBron](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2268777562-e1775580049309.jpg\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
LeBron James isn\u2019t backing off.<\/p>\n
After his comments about not enjoying playing in certain NBA<\/a> cities sparked widespread backlash, the Los Angeles Lakers star<\/a> addressed the reaction \u2014 and made it clear he isn\u2019t changing his stance.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s two cities I do not like playing in right now,\u201d James said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s Milwaukee<\/a> and that\u2019s Memphis.\u201d<\/p>\n Viral Comments Spark Backlash Across NBA World<\/p>\n The controversy began when James<\/a> appeared on the \u201cBob Does Sports<\/a>\u201d YouTube show and suggested the Memphis Grizzlies could consider relocating to Nashville, pointing to amenities in the nearby city.<\/p>\n The clip quickly went viral, drawing criticism from fans and figures across the league \u2014 particularly in Memphis, where the remarks were viewed as dismissive.<\/p>\n As the reaction grew, attention shifted to whether James would walk back or clarify his comments.<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n LeBron Clarifies: \u2018I Don\u2019t Like Staying at the Hyatt Centric\u2019<\/p>\n Instead, James expanded on what he meant \u2014 making it clear his frustration is tied to the realities of NBA<\/a> travel, not the cities themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not talking about the city,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t like staying at the Hyatt Centric. What\u2019s wrong with that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid I say I don\u2019t like Black people? \u2026 I\u2019m 41 years old and there\u2019s two cities I don\u2019t like playing in right now. And that\u2019s Milwaukee and that\u2019s Memphis.\u201d \u2013 LeBron James when asked about the backlash to his comments on a recent Bob Does Sports appearance <\/p>\n The comment offered a more specific look at the issue, highlighting how travel, accommodations, and routine can impact players deep into long NBA careers.<\/p>\n James emphasized that the feeling isn\u2019t limited to those cities alone.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like going home either\u2026 and I\u2019m from there,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Bigger Picture: The Reality of Year 21<\/p>\n While the initial backlash centered on Memphis<\/a> and Milwaukee, James\u2019 comments reflect a broader reality for veteran players navigating the grind of the NBA schedule.<\/p>\n At 41 and in his 21st season, the day-to-day demands of travel \u2014 from flights to hotels \u2014 can shape how players experience certain road stops, even if it has little to do with the cities themselves.<\/p>\n Rather than softening his stance, James leaned into that reality, offering a candid look at how his perspective has evolved late in his career.<\/p>\n Reaction Around the League<\/p>\n The comments prompted responses beyond social media.<\/p>\n Memphis Mayor Paul Young publicly invited James to visit the city and experience its culture firsthand, while others around the league downplayed the remarks.<\/p>\n Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers<\/a> suggested the issue was more about accommodations than anything else, reinforcing James\u2019 clarification.<\/p>\n The Bottom Line<\/p>\n LeBron James<\/a> didn\u2019t apologize. He didn\u2019t walk it back.<\/p>\n He clarified \u2014 and then doubled down.<\/p>\n And in doing so, he offered a rare, unfiltered look at the realities of life on the road for one of the NBA\u2019s longest-tenured stars.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMaggie MacKenzie<\/a> Maggie MacKenzie covers NASCAR for Heavy.com. She previously worked for NASCAR.com, where she reported, wrote, and edited race-weekend coverage and traveled to key events throughout the season. She has more than ten years of experience in sports media and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. More about Maggie MacKenzie<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Bucks\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":703856,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3795],"tags":[7,294,293,177,4070,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-703855","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-memphis-grizzlies","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-grizzlies","10":"tag-memphis","11":"tag-memphis-grizzlies","12":"tag-memphisgrizzlies","13":"tag-nba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116364880603577497","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/703855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=703855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/703855\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/703856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=703855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=703855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=703855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}