LeBron James wants to play in Tokyo Olympics but planning is next to impossible so far

LeBron James would love to play the Olympics in Tokyo but so far it is impossible for him and other NBA players to totally commit.

Per Basketballnews, LeBron James has made it known to top officials at USA Basketball that he wants to play in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but the uncertainty surrounding the 2020-21 NBA season has made planning next to impossible. "I was told he wants to plan on being able to play, but no one can totally commit under these circumstances," USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo told BasketballNews.com on Thursday.

Nonetheless, Colangelo is doing his best to prepare Team USA for as many possible scenarios as he can envision. "I’ve been on the phone with (NBA deputy commissioner) Mark Tatum about this, and he said all sorts of possibilities are on the table, but things change every day," Colangelo said. "I wish I could plan. I just can’t. "I was told the NBA season would start in December, and then it was Christmas, and then after Jan. 1, and that keeps pushing the schedule for me. The NBA season typically takes 170 or 171 days to complete, so that creates a conflict on paper," said Colangelo, adding that a suspension of the NBA season in order to clear time for the Olympics also has been discussed.

"If the season conflicts with the Olympics, I might have 14 non-playoff teams to choose from, but then other players will become available as the NBA playoffs progress," Colangelo said. "The problem is that the ICO has a rule mandating an early submission of a 12-man roster. But with a pandemic, the hope would be that you’ve got to set aside outdated rules. I assume people will be reasonable and come up with some kind of a program that works."