LeBron won't play in World Cup; doesn't rule out 2020 Olympics

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers won't spend this summer on the hardwood playing for Team USA. Instead, he will work in Hollywood.

James told The Athletic he will not be playing for Team USA this summer in the FIBA World Cup in China and never intended to be part of the team coached by Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, one of James' favorite coaches.

"I love everything about Pop, obviously," James said. "But this is not a good summer for me."

Instead of playing for his country, James will work out and film "Space Jam 2," which is slated to be released in July 2021.

The Athletic report states the production schedule of the movie was put in place based on James not playing for Team USA this summer.

James, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has not ruled out playing for Team USA in the 2020 Summer Olympics, which will be contested in Japan.

"Yeah, that's a possibility," James told The Athletic. "It depends on how I feel. I love the Olympics."