ESPN Personality Calls LeBron A 'Gentrifier' For Disliking Memphis

ESPN personality David Dennis Jr. took issue with LeBron James criticizing travel to Memphis and suggesting that the Grizzlies relocate, pointing out the city is home to the National Civil Rights Museum. Good grief.

"I’m f*****g 41 years old, you think I want to do that sh*t being in Memphis on a random a** Thursday," James said with the Bob Does Sports golfing squad. "I’m not like the first guy even to talk about in the NBA. Like, we all like, ‘You guys have to move’… Go over to Nashville."

Dennis Jr. has now gone as far as suggesting LeBron James is an Uncle Tom-like figure who sucks up to white country club "golf bros," and even accused him of being a "gentrifier" because he dislikes the hotel they stay in and suggested the Grizzles move from Memphis to Nashville. 

This reminds me of the Harvey Dent quote in "The Dark Knight" when he says, "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." LeBron James has been on the Mount Rushmore of woke athletes for much of his playing career. He's gaslit people in regard to the atrocities of the Chinese Communist Party, doxxed a police officer, conjured up a race hoax, kneeled for the anthem, and much more. It's never enough for the woke mob, though.

The funny part? Many NBA players have shared this sentiment about Memphis, but it's way more powerful to virtue signal using LeBron's name.

Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Derrick White, and other NBA players have trashed Memphis and the hotel the teams stay at while in town.

Heck, even Draymond Green said the team should move to Nashville less than a month ago on his podcast. 

"Memphis, which should probably be in Nashville, should be an Eastern Conference team," Green said while discussing expansion teams on "The Draymond Green Show."

I didn't hear David Dennis Jr. calling him a "gentrifier." It's all just selective outrage.

Here are the facts, Dennis:

• Memphis was ranked the "Most Dangerous City" in 2025
• Memphis ranked highest in violent crime rate among U.S. cities with 100,000+ population in 2024 data (2,501 per 100,000 residents)
• The Milken Institute ranked the Memphis region 175 out of 200 large cities in their 2024 Best-Performing Cities index
• Memphis' crime was so bad, he had to deploy the National Guard
• The Grizzles are consistently at the bottom of the rankings for attendance (currently hold the last place spot for total attendance)
• The Hyatt the players stay at, which LeBron was talking crap about, looks like a run-down detention center

Whether the team should move is obviously up for debate, but there's no doubt that this sentiment is not because these players hate their own race. Suggesting that is preposterous.

But hey, at least you've got Stephen A Smith on your side, Dennis. You both can talk to a wall.