Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James hinted that he might not participate in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics after being eliminated from the NBA playoffs with a 113-100 Game 6 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.
When asked if he would participate in the Olympics, James said, “Nah, I think I’m gonna play for the Tune Squad this summer instead of the Olympics,” referencing his upcoming movie “Space Jam: A New Legacy.”
The Tokyo Olympics are set to begin July 23, one week after the “Space Jam” sequel premieres.
James has been very open in the past about wanting to get some rest this offseason. After winning the NBA title last season in the Orlando bubble, James and the Lakers had just two months off before returning to action.
The 36-year-old also sprained his right ankle in March and admitted he doesn’t think he’ll ever fully recover from the injury. James referred to the last 18 months as “draining” mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
James has won two Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal with Team USA. He participated at the Athens, Beijing and London Games, but sat out the 2016 Olympics in Brazil amid the NBA Finals.
Now that James has been eliminated from the postseason and is considering not playing in the Olympics, it looks like he won’t be adding to his trophy case this year, which is surprising after all the success he’s found over the years.
