Breaking News: LeBron James to be Team USA’s Male Flagbearer at Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony… More Details
LeBron James is being asked to do more than just guide USA Basketball to the Paris Games—he’s being called upon to inspire an entire nation?
James has been chosen by his Team USA teammates from all sports to be the flag bearer for the 2024 Olympics, making him the first male athlete to earn this distinction since Dawn Staley at the Athens Games in 2004 and Sue Bird at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
On Friday, James will lead a group of American athletes along the River Seine, which will serve as the venue for the Opening Ceremony.
This achievement adds to the accolades of the four-time NBA champion and all-time leading NBA scorer, who will be making his fourth appearance at the Summer Games, starting with his debut at age 19 in 2004. As James often notes, he’s “just a kid from Akron, Ohio,” and his journey has been remarkable.
Describing the opportunity as an “utmost honor,” James said:
“It’s special to have the chance to represent your country in a different way. I understand the significance of this moment … it will be remembered forever.”
The announcement of the female U.S. flagbearer will be made in the coming days. In 2020, the International Olympic Committee decided that each country’s delegation would have two flagbearers—one male and one female—at the Olympic Opening Ceremony to promote gender equality. Approximately 53% of the nearly 600 American athletes expected at the Paris Games will be women.
James received the news of this honor on Monday in London, just hours before the U.S. men’s team was set to face World Cup champion Germany in their final pre-Olympics exhibition game. Stephen Curry, a U.S. star and first-time Olympian, put forward James’s name for the flagbearer position.
At 39, James will turn 40 in December but has remained steadfast in his ambition to compete in Paris 2024. He is still considered one of the top players globally and will lead the American team when they start their tournament on Sunday.
James is seeking his third gold medal, with the U.S. team being a strong contender despite increased competition.
The American delegation will be among the last to parade down the Seine, a traditional spot for the host nation of the next Summer Games. France will be the final nation to participate.
As thousands of athletes glide along the river at sunset towards the Eiffel Tower, the 3.7-mile route will be witnessed by approximately 320,000 spectators on the banks and an estimated 1 billion viewers around the world.
While not all Olympic athletes participate in the Opening Ceremony due to scheduling conflicts, James and the U.S. men’s basketball team, who won’t start their Olympic campaign until Sunday against Serbia in Lille, France, will join in the festivities.
By IOC tradition, Greece will lead the parade, followed by the Refugee Olympic Team and about 200 other national delegations before the American team.
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