Cleveland Cavaliers Star LeBron James Not Playing In Olympics After Extended NBA Season

Now that the NBA season is over, a lot of eyes are turning towards the Olympics. Many want to know who will represent the United States against the world. According to ESPN, LeBron James will not be one of the guys on the team, as he is tired from chasing and winning a championship.

As executives and coaches are trying to make decisions on which college players they want to add to their roster, NBA players are also tasked with making a decision as well. A select few have to decide if they want to continue playing basketball and chasing a gold medal in the Olympics for the United States.

LeBron James was one of the finalist for a roster spot on the national team. It makes all the sense in the world that he would be. Aside from being one of the best players in the world, he also has plenty of experience in the Olympics.

“I’m nothing without this group behind me.”

Watch @KingJames speak about EVERY teammate: https://t.co/3W7iWzoEhr pic.twitter.com/Td4ulqypeq

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) June 23, 2016

Unfortunately for the United States, LeBron James will not be available to help them compete. He played more games during the NBA season than usual. James is fine with that, though, as he was finally able to bring a championship to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In addition to being tired from the long NBA season, LeBron James also needs to focus on free agency. He is expected to opt out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers to pursue a more lucrative contract. James might even seek out a long term deal to remain with the team that drafted him.

Fortunately for the United States, there should still be plenty of talent on the roster. A gold medal is still possible. Plenty of NBA players are still willing to take time out of their vacation to play some more basketball. Having a gold medal on the resume can be a lucrative thing.

Carmelo Anthony has already committed to playing in the Olympics. The New York Knicks forward will more than likely be one of the leaders for the team. Anthony is a bit more rested than the other players because the Knicks failed to make the NBA Playoffs.

An interesting side story for Carmelo Anthony is that he has a chance to become the first men’s basketball team to win three gold medals in the Olympics. Anthony won one in 2008 and 2012. Carmelo also has a bronze medal in his possession, which was won in 2004.

Carmelo Anthony has some help in Klay Thompson. The Golden State Warriors guard has accepted the invitation to play in the Olympics, even though he went through a long NBA season. The Warriors lost to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals last week. Golden State players spent a lot of energy during a regular season in which they won a record breaking 73 games.

As a spectator of the Olympics, LeBron James might get a chance to watch one of his Cleveland Cavaliers teammates chasing the gold. Sources are stating that Kyrie Irving will soon accept his invitation to be on the national team.

Several athletes around the world are choosing to avoid the Olympics in Brazil because the country is currently plagued by the Zika virus. The country already has a large population. Plus, millions of people could be heading towards Brazil to watch the various sporting events.

LeBron James has every right in the world to choose whether or not he wants to play in the Olympics. He really is under no obligation to do so. James is already being revered by sports fans globally for finally bringing an NBA Championship to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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