Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Erik García Gundersen

LeBron ‘needs to see how body feels’ before committing to Tokyo 2020

The Los Angeles Lakers took care of business last night as they thumped the Phoenix Suns in a 25-point victory and a rare huge night from their bench. But before the game, the Lakers had already received a major victory in terms of recognition as five members of the team, including LeBron James and Anthony Davis, were included on USA Basketball’s 44-man player pool for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

However, LeBron James himself remains non-committal about playing in the tournament. Although James has been open to playing in the Olympics, he’s made it abundantly clear that his first priority is leading the Lakers in the NBA playoffs later this spring, according to USA TODAY’s Mark Medina.

“It’s always predicated on my body, and how my body is feeling at the end of the season,” said James, who his in his 17th NBA season. “I hope to make a long playoff run. And then see where my mind is and then where my family’s head is. So, it’s a lot of factors.”

Another factor that James didn’t mention is that he’s the NBA’s All-Time leader in minutes played in the NBA playoffs. He will add to that total later this year and after a season in which LeBron has led the NBA in assists, he may need the period between late July and early August to recover from what they hope will be a long playoff run.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.