LeBron James Admits He “Might’ve Pulled an Eli Manning” If Drafted by Memphis in 2003

LeBron James took shots at Memphis Grizzlies and joked that he would have not shown up if they had won the lottery in 2003.

LeBron James Admits He “Might’ve Pulled an Eli Manning” If Drafted by Memphis in 2003

Los Angeles Lakers might be better off benching LeBron James (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • LeBron James joked he might have refused to play for the Memphis Grizzlies if drafted in 2003.
  • He referenced Eli Manning's situation with the San Diego Chargers before the 2004 NFL draft.
  • James and Draymond Green suggested Memphis should relocate to Nashville for better opportunities.

It is a no-brainer that LeBron James etched into the history books of basketball. Widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the number one pick in the 2003 NBA draft straight after high school and the rest is history.

During his latest appearance on the YouTube Golf show “Bob Does Sports”, the four-time champion joked that he might have pulled an Eli Manning if the Memphis Grizzlies had won the lottery instead of the Cavs.

Staying at the f—ing Hyatt at 41 years old. You think I wanna do that s***? Being in Memphis on a random a** Thursday? I’m not like the first guy even to talk about in the NBA. You guys have to move. ‘Go over to Nashville’. Grizzlies chance was in 2003 if they won the lottery to get me there and I might’ve pulled an Eli Manning and not showed up.

LeBron James on Bob Does Sports

LeBron James is in the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. While there have been several rumors surrounding his next club, it is safe to assume that the Grizzlies are not in James’ plans. The 41-year-old is currently in his 23rd season in the NBA and has not shown any real signs of slowing down.

The Eli Manning reference James made is when the former number one pick made it known prior to the 2004 NFL draft that he didn’t want to play for the then-San Diego Chargers. Later, he was drafted by the New York Giants and went on to win two Super Bowls.

This is not the first time a player has taken shots at the Grizzlies. James’ Lakers teammate Marcus Smart, who spent one and a half seasons in Memphis, said they have the ugliest fans in the NBA. The Grizzlies were the only team in the lottery in 2003 to move up, but luckily for James, the Cavs had the first pick.

Fans react to LeBron James taking shots at the Memphis Grizzlies

It appears that several NBA players are not fond of the Grizzlies and are reluctant to live in Memphis. With the NBA looking to add two more franchises, James suggested that the Grizzlies should leave Memphis and move to Nashville as they are a better sporting city.

James taking shots at Memphis did not take long to catch fire across social media as fans were quick to react to his comments.

Most fans found it hilarious that James took shots at Memphis and were not surprised, as several other NBA players have been critical of it in the past as well.

Draymond Greens believes Memphis isn’t fit for an NBA team

Golden State Warriors star and a good friend of LeBron James, Draymond Green, made a similar comment about moving the Grizzlies out of Memphis and to Nashville. The Grizzlies’ lease with FedEx Forum is set to expire in 2029. There seems to be no update on any breakthrough yet.

Draymond Green
Draymond Green (Image credits – Sky Sports)

On the Draymond Green Show, the former Defensive Player of the Year made the same suggestion as James.

Minnesota And Memphis Should Be Eastern Conference Teams…Adam do us a favor and take the (Grizzlies) to Nashville, leave that arena and you ain’t gotta pay the relocation fee… but you ask yourself, or do you just get rid of the conferences.

Draymond Green on his podcast

The 2025-26 campaign has not been kind to the Grizzlies. They have missed the postseason and find themselves at 11th place in the Western Conference standings with a 25-51 record.

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