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                                                                                                       SPORTS Wednesday 12 February 2020
            LeBron James


            among 44 U.S.

            Olympic basketball

            team finalists




            By TIM REYNOLDS              June, those decisions to be
            AP Basketball Writer         made by a selection com-
            LeBron James is considering  mittee — and to be based
            a return to the Olympics.    in part on player availability
            James  —  a  two-time  gold  and health.
            medalist  and  three-time  Training  camp  will  start  in
            Olympian  —  was  among  early  July,  potentially  as
            44  players  announced  by  little as two weeks after the
            USA  Basketball  on  Mon-    end of the NBA Finals. The
            day as finalists for the team  Olympics start July 24.
            that  will  play  in  the  Tokyo  "I  want  to  play,"  said  Port-
            Games this summer. James  land's  Damian  Lillard,  one
            played  in  2004,  2008  and  of the finalists.
            2012,  helping  the  U.S.  win  "I  think,  looking  at  my  ca-
            gold in his most recent two  reer and all the stuff I want
            appearances.                 to  accomplish  before  it's
            The pool includes 19 players  over, winning a gold medal
            who have won a total of 31  at  the  Olympics  is  on  the
            gold medals in either Olym-  list.
            pic or World Cup competi-    I  was  happy  to  see  my
            tion  for  the  Americans  —  name  on  there,  obviously,
            including nine players who  and hopefully I'll be a part
            captured the Olympic title  of the team."
            for USA Basketball in Rio de  USA  Basketball  officials,
            Janeiro four years ago.      including  Colangelo  and
            "I've  always  maintained  Popovich  of  the  San  An-
            that  equity  is  important,"  tonio  Spurs,  have  met
            USA  Basketball  managing  with players in a variety of
            director  Jerry  Colangelo  ways over the past several    Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James goes to the basket against the Sacramento Kings during
            told  The  Associated  Press.  weeks.                     the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020.
            "And  you  earn  equity  by  Some  talks  have  been  di-                                                                       Associated Press
            participating.               rectly  with  players,  some
            So, we think they've earned  with their agents, some with  DeRozan,  Brooklyn's  Kevin  four-time  men's  basketball  Jaylen  Brown,  Utah's  Mike
            the  right  to  be  named  to  their NBA clubs, sometimes  Durant and Kyrie Irving, the  Olympian  for  the  U.S.  —  Conley, the Clippers' Mon-
            the  overall  roster  for  USA  a  combination  thereof  —  Los  Angeles  Clippers'  Paul  joining Carmelo Anthony.  trezl  Harrell,  Brooklyn's  Joe
            Basketball.  It's  pretty  elite.  and,   Colangelo   noted,  George,  Golden  State's  "I'm  looking  forward  to  Harris,  Philadelphia's  Tobi-
            It's  a  tremendous  pot  and  there were some instances  Draymond Green and Klay  coaching  the  U.S.  Olym-       as  Harris,  Boston's  Gordon
            the good news is they've all  where players reached out  Thompson,  and  Toronto's  pic  Team,  and  I'm  excited  Hayward,  New  Orleans'
            said they want to play."     directly to express interest.  Kyle Lowry.                about  the  potential  and  Brandon  Ingram,  the  Lak-
            James  has  played  in  68  If  they're  on  the  list,  that  Back  from  the  2012  Olym-  possibilities  this  team  has,"  ers'  Kyle  Kuzma,  the  Clip-
            games for the U.S. national  means  USA  Basketball  is  pic  champion  roster:  the  Popovich said.                pers' Kawhi Leonard, Lillard,
            team and has said several  convinced  they  want  to  Los  Angeles  Lakers'  James  The  Olympics  could  be  a  Milwaukee's  Brook  Lopez,
            times over the past year or  play.                        and Anthony Davis, Durant,  return to the court for play-  the Lakers' JaVale McGee,
            so that he is thinking about  "I feel very good about the  Houston's  James  Harden  ers like Durant and Thomp-     Milwaukee's  Khris  Middle-
            another  Olympics  —  after  response," Colangelo said.   and    Russell   Westbrook,  son,  who  have  missed  the  ton, Utah's Donovan Mitch-
            sitting  out  the  Rio  Games  Also  included  in  the  pool:  Cleveland's Kevin Love and  entirety of this NBA season  ell,  Indiana's  Victor  Oladi-
            for a variety of reasons. Part  15  of  the  16  players  from  Oklahoma City's Chris Paul.  with injuries.         po,  Boston's  Marcus  Smart
            of the interest in participat-  the U.S. who are scheduled  Back  from  the  2008  gold-  Durant's   recovery   from  and  Jayson  Tatum,  Indi-
            ing  this  summer  is  to  have  to  play  in  Sunday's  NBA  medal  squad:  the  Lakers'  Achilles'  surgery  is  at  the  ana's Myles Turner, Boston's
            the chance to play for U.S.  All-Star  Game,  and  all  12  Dwight Howard.             point  where  he's  doing  Kemba Walker and San An-
            coach Gregg Popovich of  members of the team that  And those with World Cup  some  on-court  work  and  tonio's Derrick White.
            the San Antonio Spurs.       represented the U.S. at last  or   world   championship  Thompson  has  said  he  "The  reason  we  have  this
            "My name is in the hat. It's  summer's  Basketball  World  gold medals for USA Basket-  would like to play if his sur-  big  roster  is  a  lot  of  things
            always predicated on how  Cup in China — where the  ball,  but  no  Olympic  gold  gically repaired knee is up  happen, a lot of variables,"
            my body feels at the end of  Americans  managed  only  to this point: Golden State's  to the challenge.             Colangelo    said.   "And
            the  season,"  James  said.  "I  a seventh-place finish after  Stephen Curry, Cleveland's  The  25  other  players  who  what's to say what's going
            am hoping to make a long  roughly  three  dozen  play-    Andre    Drummond     and  are finalists for this summer's  to  happen  from  an  injury
            playoff run and then where  ers who were on the list at  Denver's Mason Plumlee.       team but do not yet have  standpoint  between  now
            my  mind  is  and  where  my  some  point  dropped  out  James and Paul won Olym-      Olympic or World Cup gold  and June.
            family's head is. There are a  along the way.             pic gold at Beijing in 2008,  for  the  U.S.:  Miami's  Bam  We don't know. So we have
            lot of factors."             The  nine  players  still  in  the  and James was part of the  Adebayo,  San  Antonio's  the  rest  of  the  season  to
            There  will  be  no  tryouts.  mix from the 2016 Olympic  team  that  won  bronze  at  LaMarcus  Aldridge,  Wash-   monitor, to watch.
            USA  Basketball  will  pare  team:  Sacramento's  Harri-  Athens in 2004.              ington's Bradley Beal, Phoe-  But when we select our 12,
            the  list  down  to  a  12-per-  son  Barnes,  Miami's  Jimmy  If James joins this team, he  nix's Devin Booker, Indiana's  they will be 12 who are ab-
            son Olympic team by early  Butler, San Antonio's DeMar  will  become  the  second  Malcolm Brogdon, Boston's  solutely in with all fours."q
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