The two athletes reunited at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Games, after they took a photo together back in 2002

Chari Hawkins had a “full-circle moment” at the Paris Olympics when she came face-to-face with LeBron James again at the opening ceremony on July 26.

The track and field athlete, 33, opened up about her experience seeing the 39-year-old NBA superstar — a hangout that came 22 years after they first met.

In a TikTok posted on July 27, Hawkins told the story, sharing a selfie the two took together back in 2002 when they first met at the Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas.

At the time, James was 17 and “the No. 1 recruit” for basketball team at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. Hawkins — who is from Rexburg, Idaho — was 11 and in middle school, attending the event with her father, a longtime basketball coach for both Rigby and Madison high schools.

“I went up to him and he was on the phone and was like ‘excuse me can I take a picture? ’” Hawskins recalled. “He was so nice [about it]… and then he took a picture with me and he resumed his phone call. Literally 17-years-old. So kind.”

Chari Hawkins and Lebron James. Chari Hawkins/Instagram
Decades later, this time in Paris, Hawkins would spot James before the opening ceremony where they snapped another selfie — this time in their rain ponchos. And as Hawkins explained on TikTok, she had their first snap loaded up on her phone and “ready to go.”

“I was like, ‘I have to show you something’ and I showed it to him,” she said.

James reacted with joy. He took my phone out of my hands and was like ‘no way,’ ” Hawkins gushed. “And he was so amazing.”

“Literally, he has been incredible since he was 17-years-old. He’s still so incredible. And I wasn’t expecting him to be so kind about it, but he was.”

Chari Hawkins/Instagram
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Looking back on it all, Hawkins called the experience “so special.”

“It was really cool,” she said. “It was honestly such a full-circle moment too from when I was really little, I was a little kid who idolized him. And now we’re Olympic teammates.”

The Paris Games marks the first time Hawkins has been at the Olympics, and James’ fourth appearance. He won medals as his previous three outings — gold in London (2012) and Beijing (2008) and bronze in Athens (2004).
Ahead of the opening ceremony, James was selected by his fellow Team USA Olympians to be one of the flag bearers alongside tennis star Coco Gauff during the Parade of Nations.

“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,” James said in a statement shared by Team USA. “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,” he continued, “and I’m proud to be a part of this important moment.”

James’ next basketball game with Team USA will be played against South Sudan on July 31. Hawkins will be competing in the Women’s Heptathlon events in Paris starting Aug. 8.

In the meantime, fans can follow Hawkins on TikTok, where she’s been showing her followers everything from life at the Olympic village to the ups and downs of pre-competition practices.

“The reality is, whatever happens today does not mean it’s going to happen in the future,” she said in a July 31 video, after a particularly tough practice. “Today, I took one step closer to being the best I can then. I don’t need to be good now. Now doesn’t matter at all. It can give me confidence, or I can give myself confidence and know that I already know what I’m going to do, I already know what I need to do.”
“I just trust that it’s going to happen, when it’s meant to happen,” she added.