LeBron James to stay in US

Miami Heat star LeBron James has said that he plans to stay in the US if the NBA lockout continues.

Speaking to the Associated Press, James stated that he has no intention of fielding offers from international teams.

The Olympic gold medallist also confirmed that he is fully committed to helping the US to retain gold at London 2012.

“I love representing my country and doing it the way I love to do it and that's playing the game of basketball,” James said. "So I would love to be a part of the 2012 team travelling to London and defending our gold medal."

The 26-year-old forward also believes that there will be an NBA season this year, despite reports that a deal is looking increasingly unlikely.

“I'm optimistic that we will have a season this year," he said. "Very optimistic."

James finished the 2010/11 season second in the league in scoring, averaging 26.7 points per game.