Michael Jordan and Magic revolutionized the history of sports, but at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the flag bearer for the United States was marathon runner Francie Larrieu Smith. In fact, until Tokyo 2020, no basketball player had ever received that honor, but on Monday morning, Team USA announced that LeBron James will be the flag bearer for the stars and stripes at the Opening Ceremony of Paris 2024, which will take place on the Seine River this Friday, July 26th.
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The decision to appoint LeBron is very symbolic, as the 39-year-old athlete is living his last years as a professional athlete and these will be his last Olympic Games.
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In addition, James has great leadership among his basketball peers, in the sports world in general, and he carries out many community activities. In fact, LeBron was chosen by the nearly 600 athletes on the US Olympic team through a vote conducted by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
Since the Opening Ceremony will be on the Seine, James will lead a boat of athletes and will be accompanied by a female flag bearer who will be named in the next few hours.
What did LeBron say upon receiving the news that he will be the flag bearer?
"It is an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially at a time that can unite the entire world," said LeBron James in a statement.
And, with humility, he added that, "for a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything, not just for me, but for my family, all the kids in my hometown, my teammates, my fellow Olympians, and so many people across the country with big aspirations. Sports have the power to bring us all together, and I am proud to be part of this important moment."
How many medals does LeBron James have?
Paris 2024 will mark the 39-year-old veteran's return to the Olympic Games, who won the bronze medal in Athens 2004, and then was part of the redemption of the United States basketball team, which under coach Mike Krzyzewski, won gold in Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
LeBron will lead a team full of stars in these Olympic Games, such as Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, and Anthony Edwards, but last Saturday they had a big scare in a preparation game in London, when they barely beat Sudan by one point.
In the first round of the men’s Olympic basketball, the United States will be in Group C along with Serbia, Puerto Rico, and South Sudan.