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When the President speaks, governments react. When the Federal Reserve Chair predicts, markets fluctuate. When LeBron James comments, his words shift perception.
When James recently remarked on a podcast that the Grizzlies should leave Memphis for Nashville because it had more to offer, it sounded like a standard complaint from a wealthy athlete.
Given his stature, mere words from James can turn a suggestion into something that feels inevitable.
His Grizzlies suggestion opened a wound for those of us from marginalized communities, where divestment is the norm and opportunities flee, leaving behind job loss, broken neighborhoods and shattered morale.
If the Grizzlies left Memphis, it would stoke old resentments but do even more – it would damage the local economy and validate the narrative that Memphis is somehow unfit.
The consequences of a franchise's leaving are immediate.
An extreme example is Oakland, California, which saw three of its professional sports teams leave in six years. The NBA's Warriors moved to San Francisco. The NFL's Raiders relocated to Las Vegas. In 2024, the MLB’s Athletics headed to Sacramento but will eventually settle in Vegas.
Those teams left because local officials couldn’t reach agreements with those franchises to cede public funds, including taxpayer dollars, to build new facilities.
More: LeBron James responds to backlash over Memphis comments but doesn't back down
Oakland said no. Nevada said yes. Those teams followed the money.
What happened to Oakland afterward has been instructive.
Lacking the capital, global economic investment and gilded reputation of San Francisco, the city in the East Bay is still grappling with economic losses, especially in the hospitality industry. Hotels have closed in Oakland between 2024 and the beginning of this year. In January, the boutique Moxy hotel stopped accepting guest reservations. Besides crime and higher operating costs, the exodus of those pro teams was a major factor.
The same could happen in Memphis, should the Grizzlies leave, but on a more profound scale, given that this individual franchise anchors the city’s relatively affluent downtown district. The millions in estimated annual state and local tax revenue would go away.
The loss of jobs and revenue for downtown Memphis businesses would be especially acute.
And before you dismiss LeBron’s comments as just words from an indifferent billionaire, it’s worth noting that the Grizzlies lease with the city expires in 2029. While there is a plan to keep the team in Memphis beyond 2029, the franchise has expressed concerns about crime, perceptions of downtown Memphis and the infrastructure around FedExForum, where the team plays its home games.
And speaking of triggers, the mere mention of the Grizzlies leaving for Nashville had to set off memories of when the Titans opted to relocate there as well.
The plan was to have the team play in Memphis for two years to build statewide appeal, but attendance was so low that the Titans bolted to Nashville a year early. Memphians wanted no part of supporting a team relocating to Nashville, even though the franchise was supposed to represent Tennessee.
Opinion: Seeking partnership over takeover at MSCS
And while it has been interesting to see LeBron get pushback from talking down on Memphis, he isn’t the first player to criticize the city. NBA stars like Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards and Draymond Green have issued disparaging remarks.
Prominent ESPN sportscaster Stephen A. Smith said NBA players felt that Memphis wasn’t the safest environment. In March, Smith drew more ire after suggesting on ESPN's "First Take" that Nashville should get an NBA team. This time, he advocated for Bluff City to keep the Grizzlies. Interestingly, Smith also criticized LeBron over the player's recent remarks about Memphis.When it comes to Memphis and the Grizzlies, opinions are like elbows; everybody has two.
To some Black people, what LeBron James said about Memphis felt like a betrayal.
Given that he hails from, Akron, Ohio, James should have intimate knowledge of living in a place that has experienced mass divestment, as four major tire manufacturers – Firestone, B.F. Goodrich Company, Uniroyal and General Tire and Rubber Company – left the northeastern Ohio city between the 1970s and 80s.
Those departures turned the “Rubber Capital of the World” into an outpost.
James and his family experienced the aftermath: job loss, shuttered businesses, blight and urban flight.
We shouldn’t place the expectation on James to speak for Black, poor or working-class folks, or on behalf of cities on the brink.
Malcolm X once argued that Black celebrities, by virtue of their proximity to wealth, were often too far removed from the experiences of regular, everyday people.
But words hurt and the history that they can trigger runs deep.
And if Nashville's gain comes at the expense of Memphis, nobody wins.
[IMG alt="Tacuma Roeback, Opinion Editor
The Tennessean"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_tennessean_natl_articles_921/755a53e1769f6eef9634863ac06da80b[/IMG]
Tennessee Community Engagement and Opinion Editor Tacuma R. Roeback is an editorial leader committed to the practice of opinion journalism that is rigorous, compelling and empathetic, telling it like it is. Reach out to him at [email protected] or follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @tacumaroe and BlueSky at troe-writes.bsky.social or on LinkedIn.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: LeBron James’ comments about Memphis struck a painful, familiar nerve
Continue reading...
When James recently remarked on a podcast that the Grizzlies should leave Memphis for Nashville because it had more to offer, it sounded like a standard complaint from a wealthy athlete.
Given his stature, mere words from James can turn a suggestion into something that feels inevitable.
You must be registered for see images attach
For marginalized cities, the threat is real
His Grizzlies suggestion opened a wound for those of us from marginalized communities, where divestment is the norm and opportunities flee, leaving behind job loss, broken neighborhoods and shattered morale.
If the Grizzlies left Memphis, it would stoke old resentments but do even more – it would damage the local economy and validate the narrative that Memphis is somehow unfit.
The consequences of a franchise's leaving are immediate.
Oakland shows what happens after teams leave
An extreme example is Oakland, California, which saw three of its professional sports teams leave in six years. The NBA's Warriors moved to San Francisco. The NFL's Raiders relocated to Las Vegas. In 2024, the MLB’s Athletics headed to Sacramento but will eventually settle in Vegas.
Those teams left because local officials couldn’t reach agreements with those franchises to cede public funds, including taxpayer dollars, to build new facilities.
More: LeBron James responds to backlash over Memphis comments but doesn't back down
Oakland said no. Nevada said yes. Those teams followed the money.
What happened to Oakland afterward has been instructive.
Lacking the capital, global economic investment and gilded reputation of San Francisco, the city in the East Bay is still grappling with economic losses, especially in the hospitality industry. Hotels have closed in Oakland between 2024 and the beginning of this year. In January, the boutique Moxy hotel stopped accepting guest reservations. Besides crime and higher operating costs, the exodus of those pro teams was a major factor.
Why the Grizzlies matter more than fans realize
The same could happen in Memphis, should the Grizzlies leave, but on a more profound scale, given that this individual franchise anchors the city’s relatively affluent downtown district. The millions in estimated annual state and local tax revenue would go away.
The loss of jobs and revenue for downtown Memphis businesses would be especially acute.
And before you dismiss LeBron’s comments as just words from an indifferent billionaire, it’s worth noting that the Grizzlies lease with the city expires in 2029. While there is a plan to keep the team in Memphis beyond 2029, the franchise has expressed concerns about crime, perceptions of downtown Memphis and the infrastructure around FedExForum, where the team plays its home games.
You must be registered for see images attach
Nashville was chosen over Memphis before
And speaking of triggers, the mere mention of the Grizzlies leaving for Nashville had to set off memories of when the Titans opted to relocate there as well.
The plan was to have the team play in Memphis for two years to build statewide appeal, but attendance was so low that the Titans bolted to Nashville a year early. Memphians wanted no part of supporting a team relocating to Nashville, even though the franchise was supposed to represent Tennessee.
Opinion: Seeking partnership over takeover at MSCS
And while it has been interesting to see LeBron get pushback from talking down on Memphis, he isn’t the first player to criticize the city. NBA stars like Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards and Draymond Green have issued disparaging remarks.
Prominent ESPN sportscaster Stephen A. Smith said NBA players felt that Memphis wasn’t the safest environment. In March, Smith drew more ire after suggesting on ESPN's "First Take" that Nashville should get an NBA team. This time, he advocated for Bluff City to keep the Grizzlies. Interestingly, Smith also criticized LeBron over the player's recent remarks about Memphis.When it comes to Memphis and the Grizzlies, opinions are like elbows; everybody has two.
You must be registered for see images attach
LeBron knows this story – or should
To some Black people, what LeBron James said about Memphis felt like a betrayal.
Given that he hails from, Akron, Ohio, James should have intimate knowledge of living in a place that has experienced mass divestment, as four major tire manufacturers – Firestone, B.F. Goodrich Company, Uniroyal and General Tire and Rubber Company – left the northeastern Ohio city between the 1970s and 80s.
Those departures turned the “Rubber Capital of the World” into an outpost.
James and his family experienced the aftermath: job loss, shuttered businesses, blight and urban flight.
Can't expect celebrity athletes to speak for us
We shouldn’t place the expectation on James to speak for Black, poor or working-class folks, or on behalf of cities on the brink.
Malcolm X once argued that Black celebrities, by virtue of their proximity to wealth, were often too far removed from the experiences of regular, everyday people.
But words hurt and the history that they can trigger runs deep.
And if Nashville's gain comes at the expense of Memphis, nobody wins.
[IMG alt="Tacuma Roeback, Opinion Editor
The Tennessean"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_tennessean_natl_articles_921/755a53e1769f6eef9634863ac06da80b[/IMG]
Tennessee Community Engagement and Opinion Editor Tacuma R. Roeback is an editorial leader committed to the practice of opinion journalism that is rigorous, compelling and empathetic, telling it like it is. Reach out to him at [email protected] or follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @tacumaroe and BlueSky at troe-writes.bsky.social or on LinkedIn.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: LeBron James’ comments about Memphis struck a painful, familiar nerve
Continue reading...
