The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) announced that the American basketball legend, LeBron James, will be the male flag bearer at the upcoming opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, following a vote conducted by 592 members of Team USA.
LeBron expressed his pride after the announcement: “It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this world stage, especially at a time that can unite the whole world,” and he added, “For a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything, not just for me, but for my family, all the kids from my hometown, my teammates, my fellow Olympians, and so many people across the country with big aspirations. Sports have the power to unite everyone, and I’m proud to be part of this important moment.”
Fit to lead 👑
The moment LeBron James found out he will be the first 🇺🇸 #USABMNT athlete to serve as a @TeamUSA Flag Bearer. pic.twitter.com/kEWK45BBQH
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 22, 2024
LeBron has won four NBA titles in his career and is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the competition, with over 40,000 points scored. At 39 years old, James will participate in his fourth Olympic Games, having won the bronze medal in Athens 2004 and gold medals in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. In Paris 2024, James will seek his third gold medal alongside the Dream Team, which has won all its matches leading up to the event.
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While LeBron is the first male basketball player to carry the stars and stripes flag, he is not the first NBA athlete to hold this position; previous basketball players to have this role were Dawn Staley in Athens and Sue Bird in Tokyo 2020.
Next Friday, July 26, one of the greatest basketball players and athletes in history can be seen, along with the entire U.S. team and other delegations, in the river parade of the Paris 2024 opening ceremony, which will have the Seine River as its main stage, in the heart of the French capital.
The USOPC will announce the female flag bearer of Team USA this Tuesday, July 26.
