When a four-time National Basketball Association (NBA) champion and greatest of all time contender speaks, people listen. LeBron James is highly respected in both society at large and the NBA for his world-class basketball talent and longevity — one of the best players the NBA has ever seen.
Recently, James made an appearance on the popular YouTube channel “Bob Does Sports,” a Nashville-based golf and comedy outlet on YouTube. During his appearance on the channel, James was asked by one of the hosts about traveling for road games.
“Does travel get worse for you?” Robby “Bob” Berger said.
“You think I want to do that s***?” James said. “Yeah. Being in Memphis on a random a** Thursday. I’m not even the first guy to even talk about this in the NBA, like we all like [think] ‘You guys gotta move.’ Just go over to Nashville.”
This interview has drawn backlash from fans of the Memphis Grizzlies — the NBA team headquartered in Memphis — and Memphis residents. Basketball is a large part of Memphis’ intricate culture, and the city strongly supports both the Grizzlies and the NBA as a whole. According to data from the 2021-22 season, of all TV markets in the United States, Memphis ranked fourth overall in TV ratings for nationally televised NBA games, indicating that there was high viewership and support from the Memphis area for the NBA.
Many local fans voiced negative opinions about James’ comments. Memphians believe he is out of his place saying things about the city of Memphis.
“I used to love LeBron James until yesterday [when he said that about Memphis],” one fan said in an interview with local news station News Channel 3. “He can go home to his billion dollar mansion or whatever he wants, but no, it’s not Memphis. But Cleveland, Akron [Ohio], it’s not Memphis.”
While James’ comments have received a lot of coverage, James was not the first person to express his disdain for Memphis — this has become all too common in the national media. Prominent sports analyst Stephen A. Smith made headlines in June of 2025 for similar statements that he made on the ESPN sports talk show “First Take”.
“There’s an element there where cats like Jimmy Butler and others don’t feel it’s the safest environment,” Smith said. “I’m talking to the local authorities in Memphis.”
Smith believed that the city was too dangerous for NBA players and that they would never be able to attract good players because of it. After James’ appearance on “Bob Does Sports,” however, Smith came out against James’ comments about Memphis. He claimed that James was disregarding the value of the Memphis Grizzlies to the Memphis population and economy.
“Knowing that 63% of the people there are black, knowing that they need this team to continue to help fuel the economy there, as opposed to being up in Nashville and saying ‘why don’t you just go there,’ not thinking about the citizens at all,” Smith said on his radio show “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”
The Grizzlies have been in Memphis since 2001, when they moved away from Vancouver. Since moving to Memphis, the Grizzlies haven’t seen much NBA success, yet they have inspired the population and garnered great support in both the “Grit and Grind” and “Next Gen Grizz” eras. The Grizzlies basketball organization totaled over $300 million in revenue from the 2024-25 season, and the organization itself is valued at around $3.5 billion. The Grizzlies attract tourism, account for over 600 jobs and bring the city together in tough times.
The ultra-rich LeBron James has a much higher standard of living than the average person, yet as a person who grew up in humble circumstances in Akron, Ohio, James should show some compassion towards people who are less fortunate. James grew up in a single parent household, and his family struggled with finances and a stable place to live. Rather than trying to diminish a city that struggles with crime and poverty, he should remember his roots and sympathize with it. While the accommodations he encountered while staying in Memphis may have been lower than his standards, LeBron James should acknowledge the importance of the Memphis Grizzlies to Memphis and what losing the team would mean for the city.