James was the first person to announce his retirement from the national team. James played for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. The poor record of the team made his personal physical burden heavier, and because of his age, his body gradually became unbearable, so he longed for time to have a good rest and adjust his physical condition. For this reason, James decided not to participate in the Men's Basketball World Cup after consulting various opinions. He must adjust his body to the best condition in the offseason in order to launch an impact for the championship next season. Because for James, the value of the NBA championship far exceeds the value of the World Cup champion.
Then Durant also announced that he would not participate in the World Cup for physical reasons. Last season's NBA championship final, Durant had to quit the game because of his aggravated injury, and the team lost the championship, which was undoubtedly a heavy blow to him. Therefore, he must recover during the offseason, and his physical condition does not allow him to continue to go out to play the game. This is also a helpless decision. After all, for the team, the temptation of the World Cup champion is far less than Durant's value to the team.
Harden's retirement is also expected. The commercial value and attraction of men's basketball World Cup is far less than that of NBA. Although this year's competition will be held in China, it still lacks enough charm for NBA superstars. Especially for Harden, his appeal in China market is very strong now. Although China fans were very much looking forward to his arrival, he decided not to play in China. Maybe he felt that the challenge of this international competition was far less than that of NBA, and he couldn't find any fun here, so he finally chose to give up.
Therefore, even if the head coach of the US team is Popovich, these NBA superstars have not been invited.