LeBron James will be the United States of America flag-bearer during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, leading the country's Olympic contingent of 592 athletes. James is the first men's basketball player to be handed this honor in USA's history.
James reacted to the news while in London preparing for Team USA's exhibition game against Germany.
“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together. For a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything to not only myself but to my family, all the kids in my hometown, my teammates, fellow Olympians and so many people across the country with big aspirations. Sports have the power to bring us all together, and I’m proud to be a part of this important moment.”
James becomes the third basketball player to be a flag-bearer for the USA at the Olympics, following Sue Bird (2020) and Dawn Staley (2004) as recipients of this honor. James isn't the only NBA player to be his country's flag-bearer, with Giannis Antetokounmpo being handed the same honor for Greece.
These are arguably the two biggest Olympic nations, with Greece opening the athletes' parade as the founder of the Olympic Games. The USA will go second-last before the host nation France, as they'll be hosting the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
LeBron James Is Hoping To Win His Third Gold Medal In Paris
Amongst all the American athletes at the Olympics, very few are more decorated than James in their respective sports. While Kevin Durant has more Team USA accolades than James, he's arguably the biggest active American athlete in the world. In addition, this is definitely going to be his final Olympics, so it's a chance for his athletic contributions to sports as a whole to be recognized.
James took an active part in putting together the current iteration of Team USA at the Olympics, recruiting generational icons Durant and Stephen Curry to declare their availability alongside him. After the three names were confirmed, it was easy for Grant Hill and the rest of Team USA to choose the absolute best American players at their disposal.
This is LeBron's fourth appearance at the Olympics, with his first time coming in 2004 when Team USA shockingly left Greece with a Bronze medal in basketball. While James was on the team, he was coming off his rookie season and was given a small role in that team while the starters failed due to lack of cohesion and talent.
This led to LeBron forming the core of two Olympic superteams in 2008 and 2012, securing the Gold on both occasions. While James removed himself from contention after London 2012, the USA has won Gold in 2016 and 2020 and are hoping to make it five straight Golds in Paris 2024.
Team USA is undefeated through four exhibition matches, but two of those wins were far from convincing. They nearly blew a 20+-point lead to Australia during an exhibition in Abu Dhabi before needing to pull off a double-digit comeback, capped off by a LeBron James game-winner , to beat South Sudan in London over the weekend.
Related: Stephen Curry Hails LeBron James' Clutch Shot After Team USA Escape With Narrow Win
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