LeBron will skip World Cup, could return to Team USA for 2020 Olympics

LeBron James won't be among the selectees when U.S. men's national team head coach Gregg Popovich announces the roster for this summer's FIBA Basketball World Cup.

"I love everything about Pop, obviously, but this is not a good summer for me," James told The Athletic's Joe Vardon.

James hasn't participated in the FIBA World Cup since the team's bronze-medal finish in 2006, sitting out both the 2010 and 2014 events - though in those years, he made the playoffs and switched teams afterward

He's also committed to working on "Space Jam 2" this summer.

James' decision to stay home rather than join his compatriots in China doesn't mean he has completely ruled out returning to national team duties in time for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

"Yeah, that’s a possibility," said James, who previously captured gold medals in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. "It depends on how I feel. I love the Olympics."