NBA star LeBron James considering return to Olympics

LeBron James is considering a return to the Olympics. James — a two-time gold medallist and three-time Olympian — is among 44 players announced by USA Basketball on Monday as finalists for the team that will play in the Tokyo Games this summer. James played in 2004, 2008 and 2012, helping the US win gold in his most recent two appearances. The pool includes 19 players who have won a total of 31 gold medals in either Olympic or World Cup competition for the Americans — including nine players who captured the Olympic title for USA Basketball in Rio de Janeiro four years ago.

"I've always maintained that equity is important," USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo told The Associated Press. "And you earn equity by participating. So, we think they've earned the right to be named to the overall roster for USA Basketball. It's pretty elite. It's a tremendous pot and the good news is they've all said they want to play."

James has played in 68 games for the US national team and has said several times over the past year or so that he is thinking about another Olympics — after sitting out the Rio Games for a variety of reasons. Part of the interest in participating this summer is to have the chance to play for US coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs.

"It's a possibility," James said in December.

There will be no tryouts. USA Basketball will pare the list down to a 12-person Olympic team by early June, those decisions to be made by a selection committee — and to be based in part on player availability and health. Training camp will start in early July, potentially as little as two weeks after the end of the NBA Finals. The Olympics start on July 24.

USA Basketball officials, including Colangelo and Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, have met with players in a variety of ways over the past several weeks. Some talks have been direct with players, some with their agents, some with their NBA clubs, sometimes a combination thereof — and, Colangelo noted, there were some instances where players reached out directly to express interest.

If they're on the list, that means USA Basketball is convinced they want to play. "I feel very good about the response," Colangelo said.

Also included in the pool: 15 of the 16 players from the US who are scheduled to play in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game, and all 12 members of the team that represented the US at last summer's Basketball World Cup in China — where the Americans managed only a seventh-place finish after roughly three dozen players who were on the list at some point dropped out along the way.