Will LeBron James Skip Worlds for a Movie?

Do you remember the time when America rode high again, tore down all comers (minus Juan Carlos Navarro), and brought the gold back to these shores? I do. I also remember the monster seasons enjoyed by Dwyane Wade and LeBron James following that crash course in off-season conditioning, learning from Kobe Bryant, and as much I'm loathe to admit it, spending time with Coach K.

This despite the fact that, two years earlier (2006-07), several players seemed to show the signs of year-round competition. That was the dreary prelude to a dream come true.

Yet all was not well. The major fear coming out of 2008 was that, if America did it all, the impetus to continue the reign would be mightily low. Or, rather, the illusion of empire, and its allure, might be stronger than the truth of the matter: Spain got close in the championship game; Argentina, an ever-brewing powerhouse; America is always vulnerable to a team with just enough pro-level talent and the advantage of years spent together in bunk beds. In other words, our proud nation's basketball program now has that proverbial target on its back.

If you think we've reached some plateau and can coast from here, you don't know [Nikola] Pekovic.



Share I hope I have suitably scared you, because lord knows, the success of USA Basketball matters a lot to the average fan. It's something like this: If America fails, it proves that the NBA stinks. If we win, well, shouldn't we have supposed to do that? [sic]. We also can't presume that, with youngsters like Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, Brook Lopez, Danny Granger, and some old kook called Chauncey Billups waiting in the wings to participate in this summer's Worlds, we can do without a top-five player or two. Like, you know, LeBron James.

That's a good thing, since James has other plans for this summer.

From Brian Windhorst at the Plain Dealer:

James said Wednesday that his summer schedule, which apparently is getting closer to being finalized with a movie he's set to star in taking shape, may not allow him to take part in the FIBA World Championships in Turkey in August and September. [. . . ]

James will star in "Fantasy Basketball Camp," a comedy set in Las Vegas that is expected to be modeled after the wildly-successful "Hangover" that was out last summer. The Hollywood Reporter reported this week that Malcolm D. Lee has signed on to direct the movie and Peter Steinfeld is writing the screenplay. Lee has directed "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" and "Undercover Brother." James said he met with Lee in Cleveland last week. Steinfeld has written "Analyze That" and "21" among others.

Windhorst reports that James has "[left] the door open", but come on. LBJ is putting a film only slightly more laudable than Space Jam over defending the honor of his country. The damage is done. And if he, or any other of the Redeem Team's key performers, think that they can slink away without it making a difference, well, they weren't paying much attention to that last game. THEY ALMOST LOST THAT ONE, if not for the will of Kobe Bryant, who is -- strange as it seems -- getting old. (For a good time, try and imagine Kobe singing "Heart of Gold.")

The situation here is oddly redolent of the notorious Dream Team II. Not to say that Durant or Granger are going to make a Shawn Kemp/Derrick Coleman-type mess, or necessarily win as handily, but there's a definite "we did it, bring in the understudies" vibe to James's announcement.

Wait, though, let's stop bashing poor LeBron in the name of honor, duty, and country. Anyone recall what summer we're about to enter? I'll call you a hint: It's the most famous number in the NBA not attached to a jersey. With James, Wade, Chris Bosh, and Amar'e Stoudemire among others, all headed to free agency after 2009-10, playing over the summer is a calculated risk.

Okay, so most likely everyone will have a new team, or stuck with their old one, by then. Yet given what a chess match things could become, and the fact that Team USA practice does start before the actual tournament dates, it's not implausible that guys could sit out to keep their market value intact -- i.e., not get hurt. Even once they've signed, there's an element of risk involved. Most players are looking to come out of this summer either in a position to win a title, or as the savior of a franchise. Maybe they'll get back into shape like Wade, but who knows, it could take a lot out of them. Especially since, you know, the rest of the world is better than we give them credit for.

Stars gave their increased commitment, volia, Team USA was back on top. Now, after all the rousing camaraderie, and flag-draping, of 2008 faded, the same old problems are back: Players have lives, the rest of the world is a serious threat, and no one wants to mess with his bank on account of helping out the Statue of Liberty yet again.

LeBron James may have the silliest excuse, but really, it gets to the heart of the matter: When it comes to USA Basketball, has anything really changed?