When the 2025-26 NBA season ends for the Los Angeles Lakers, two questions will follow LeBron James into the offseason.
First, will he decide to play a 24th season or retire? Second, if he does play, will that be with the Lakers or another team? Could he return for a third turn with the Cleveland Cavaliers? Might he finally go to the New York Knicks?
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Another question that probably wouldn’t have been asked but can now be safely answered: If he does play, James will not suit up for the Memphis Grizzlies next season.
Appearing on the “Bob Does Sports” YouTube show, James said he “might have pulled an Eli Manning” if the Grizzlies had won the 2003 NBA Draft lottery. (The Memphis remarks begin at the 10:55 mark.)
The conversation about Memphis began when James was asked if the travel during an NBA season got to him. After disparaging staying at a Hyatt in Milwaukee at 41 years old, he followed up by saying, “You think I want to do that, being in Memphis on a random-ass Thursday?”
James then revealed that his feelings about the city are shared by several NBA players.
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“We all like, ‘You guys have to move,’” he continued. “Let’s go over to Nashville. You got Vanderbilt over there. You got the f****ing NASCAR. You got a stadium. Don’t they got a hockey team too?”
Host Robby Berger then said to the camera, “Doesn’t look like LeBron’s going to be on the Grizzlies any time soon.”
James responded, “Yeah, they know. Their only chance was in 2003 if they would’ve won the lottery. And I might have pulled an Eli Manning and not shown up.”
The Manning remark was a reference to the 2004 NFL Draft when the quarterback and his agent reportedly told the San Diego Chargers that he wouldn’t play for them even if he was drafted No. 1 overall. The Chargers did select him, but traded him to the New York Giants for Philip Rivers.
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Serendipitously, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the No. 1 overall pick and the Akron, Ohio native went to his home area team.
Memphis ended up with the No. 13 selection and drafted Marcus Banks out of UNLV, then traded him to the Boston Celtics. (The Grizzlies actually won the No. 2 pick, but had to trade it to the Detroit Pistons as a condition of a 1997 trade that sent Otis Thorpe to Memphis. The Pistons selected Darko Milicic.)
If James and his fellow NBA players get their wish for the Grizzlies to relocate to Memphis, it likely wouldn’t happen until 2029 when the team’s lease with FedEx Forum expires. James will almost certainly be retired by then. And maybe the Grizzlies will be competitive after a rebuild started by trading Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., with Ja Morant expected to be next.