James: If the Grizzlies had won the 2003 No. 1 pick, I likely would have refused to report.

On April 3, LeBron James indicated that had the Memphis Grizzlies obtained the first overall selection in the 2003 NBA Draft lottery, he could have declined to join the franchise, likening such a possible draft boycott to Eli Manning's refusal to sign with the San Diego Chargers following the 2004 NFL Draft.

“The only chance they had to get me was if they got the No. 1 pick in 2003,” James said, “and I probably would have pulled an Eli Manning and just not reported.”

In the 2003 draft lottery, the Cleveland Cavaliers ultimately won the first pick and selected James, who remained with the Cavaliers until leaving as a free agent to join the Miami Heat in summer 2010. The Grizzlies' pick jumped from sixth to second that year, but because it was only protected for the previous slot, the selection was eventually sent to the Detroit Pistons. Jerry West represented the Grizzlies at the lottery ceremony, and the team thus missed the chance to draft Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, or Darko Milicic.

These remarks came from an interview James gave on “Bob Does Sports” on April 3. The Lakers star first discussed the hardships of NBA road trips, then the conversation shifted to Memphis.

James not only drew a comparison to Manning's case but also publicly suggested the Grizzlies should relocate to Nashville.

“Just a regular Thursday night in Memphis is like that,” James said, “and I’m not the first person in the NBA to say this. All of us feel like: ‘You guys should move, just move to Nashville. There’s Vanderbilt, there’s NASCAR, there’s an arena already there. Don’t they have a hockey team too? Basically, everything is there.’”

James is among the growing number of prominent figures sharing this view. JJ Redick apologized after discussing it on his podcast in 2023; Draymond Green also advocated for the Grizzlies to move in his podcast this March; ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith has faced repeated criticism from Memphis locals for similar statements, and he recently mentioned that Nashville could potentially get a team through NBA expansion.

The debate over a potential Grizzlies relocation remains highly contentious and divisive within the Memphis community.