LeBron James mentions NASCAR while ripping city of Memphis, calling for Grizzlies to relocate to Nashville

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James made his feelings known about the city of Memphis while golfing on the “Bob Does Sports” YouTube show. James said that if the Grizzlies drafted him in 2003, he might not have shown up, lamented any trip he has to take to the city, and suggested the team relocate to Nashville, which is around three hours east of Memphis.

While making that last point, James actually mentioned NASCAR. His overall point was that Nashville “got everything,” so why not add the Grizzlies?

“I’m not even, like, the first guy to talk about it in the NBA,” James said. “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*cking NASCAR. You’ve got a stadium. Don’t they got a hockey team, too? They’ve got everything.”

LeBron James on playing the Grizzlies:

“I’m f***ing 41 years of age. You think I want to do sh** in Memphis on a random Thursday? I’m not the first guy in the NBA to talk about this. You guys got to move the team… go over to Nashville already.”

(via @leaguealerts) pic.twitter.com/ZN5y5vRg2p

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 2, 2026

Yes, Nashville has NASCAR, as LeBron James said

Nashville does, indeed, have NASCAR, along with a several sports franchises. The Nashville Predators play on Broadway Street and the Tennessee Titans host their games on the other side of the Cumberland River.

But just east in Lebanon sits Nashville Superspeedway. The 1.330-mile tri-oval opened in 2001 and hosted its first Cup Series race in 2021. It remains a fixture on the schedule, this year’s race scheduled for Sunday, May 31, under the lights.

NASCAR earned a mention from arguably the biggest superstar in North American sports, which never hurts. Of course, the point of his rant was about Memphis. Suffice to say, don’t expect James to sign there when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

“Staying at the f*cking Hyatt at 41 years old, you think I want to do that sh*t?” James said. “Being in Memphis on a random ass Thursday. He added, “[The Grizzlies’] best chance would have been in 2003 if they had won the lottery. And I might’ve pulled an Eli Manning and not shown up.”