LeBron James unsure on playing Olympics but says 'my name is in the hat'
![LeBron James - Cropped](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 800 450"></svg>)
LeBron James says there are multiple factors that will determine whether he ends up playing at the Olympic Games this year.
The Los Angeles Lakers star is one of 44 finalists for a place in the United States men's basketball team and he acknowledged his "name is in the hat".
By early June, that group will be cut down to a final 12 to play at the Olympics in Tokyo and, should he feature, James will join Carmelo Anthony as the second player to represent Team USA at four separate Games.
The 12-team basketball event will run from July 25 until August 9 and James is unsure over his participation at this stage of the NBA season.
But he was thrilled to see five Lakers players make the initial group, with Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, Dwight Howard and Javale McGee also included.
"Spectacular, it's amazing," said the 35-year-old.
"We're very well represented with the Lake Show representing the red, white and blue. So it's a pretty cool thing."
On his participation, James added: "It's always predicated on: one, my body, how my body is feeling at the end of the season – I hope to make a long playoff run.
"And then where my mind is and then where my family's head is. So it's a lot of factors, but my name is in the hat."
#LakeShow #TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/ZuvENW81d1
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 11, 2020
James was speaking after the Lakers cruised to a 125-100 home win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday, a fourth win from five games moving them to 40-12 for the season.
Davis had 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Rajon Rondo impressed from the bench with 23 points as Howard added 14 points and 15 rebounds.
James, meanwhile, narrowly missed a triple-double with 17 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the Lakers reached 40 wins before the All-Star break for the first time in nine years.
"It was a great game for our bench," said James.
"Rajon had great pace all night and he was taking all the looks he was getting. Dwight controlled the glass."
Suns coach Monty Williams added: "We dared Rondo to shoot from the perimeter and he made us pay."
Published 11 Feb 2020, 20:30 IST