LeBron James said he might have refused to play for the Memphis Grizzlies if they had landed the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, comparing the situation to Eli Manning’s refusal to play for the Chargers in 2004.
“Their only chance was in 2003 if they would’ve won the lottery to get me,” James said. “And I might’ve pulled an Eli Manning and not shown up.”
The Cavaliers ultimately won the lottery and selected James, while Memphis moved up to No. 2 but lost its pick to Detroit due to protections, missing out on several top prospects.
Speaking on the “Bob Does Sports” YouTube channel, James also suggested the Grizzlies should relocate to Nashville.
“Memphis on a random ass Thursday,” James said. “I’m not like the first guy to even talk about it in the NBA. We all, like, ‘You guys have to move. Just go over to Nashville. You got Vanderbilt over there, you got the NASCAR, you got a stadium. Don’t they got a hockey team? Like, they’ve got everything.”
James joins others who have raised similar ideas, including Draymond Green and Stephen A. Smith, though the topic remains controversial in Memphis.
LeBron James Says He Might Have Pulled An ‘Eli Manning’ If Grizzlies Won 2003 Lottery https://t.co/2zDxW7uetU
— RealGM (@RealGM) April 2, 2026