John Calipari has interest in coaching LeBron James at one point, but he doesn't believe the time is now.

"Are you kidding me?'' Calipari said in a telephone interview on Wednesday morning when asked about his interest in coaching James. "Have a chance to coach the best player in the world? Yes, I would love to coach him. But what's happened is our careers are criss-crossing without crossing.

"I'm not in a position where I would leave Kentucky right now. I'm not sure whether this is his last contract, or his next-to-last contract. But I would tell you if I had a chance to, I would absolutely.''

Calipari has been linked to NBA jobs though he appears focused at remaining at Kentucky.

"You'd have a chance to say, 'I coached here, I coached here and I coached Derrick Rose and I coached LeBron James,'' said Calipari. "Are you kidding me? To know he's all about championship. He's all about family. He will defer. He will give up money. He'll do whatever he has to.

"Yes, I would love to coach him. But early in his career I said maybe that would happen happen some day, but as we both get older it doesn't appear that it will happen. But he and I have never discussed it.''