James focused on family, Team USA’s Olympic bid

LEBRON James plans to spend time with his family and rest his body before turning his attention to Team USA and the Paris Olympics after the Los Angeles Lakers were knocked out of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday.

The Lakers fell 108106 to the defending champion Denver Nuggets to lose 41 in the first round, although the series was closer than the final tally suggests.

‘‘It’s about family right now,’’ James said after scoring 30 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds in the losing effort. ‘‘And then in a couple months I’ve got to go to Vegas for training camp. So I’ve got to rest my body for USA.’’

James, 39, just wrapped up his 21st season in the league and has until June 29 to decide whether to opt into the final year of his contract with the Lakers for $51.4 million ($NZ87m), become an unrestricted free agent or retire.

The Lakers desperately want the NBA’s alltime leading scorer back and would be open to discussing the maximum threeyear, $US164m extension they can offer, the Athletic reported, citing sources. James would be 42 by the end of the contract.

The Lakers are also open to the prospect of drafting James’ teenage son, Bronny, in June’s NBA draft if that would help keep his father in the purple and gold, according to the Athletic.

James in the past has said he wanted to finish his career playing alongside his 19yearold son but has made that less of an emphasis more recently.

‘‘I haven’t given it much thought lately,’’ James said when asked about the possibility. ‘‘Obviously I’ve thought about it in the past but at the end of the day the kid has to do what he wants to do. I don’t even want to say kid any more. The young man will decide what he wants to do and how he wants his career to go,’’ he said.