Outscoring 600 other athletes, LeBron James topped an internal vote to become the US sports team’s flag bearer at the 2024 Olympic opening ceremony.
Participating in his fourth Olympic Games, US basketball team leader LeBron James will have the honor of being the flag bearer for the country’s sports delegation at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics taking place on Friday, July 26.
LeBron James voted as flag bearer to lead US sports delegation at 2024 Olympics opening ceremony
A vote was held with the participation of more than 600 American athletes participating in the 2024 Olympics to find the flag bearer of the US sports delegation.
The results showed that LeBron James surpassed many other big names, including his basketball teammate Stephen Curry, to receive this special honor.
LeBron will be the first men’s basketball player to carry the U.S. flag at an Olympic opening ceremony, showing how his influence extends far beyond basketball.
“It is truly a great honor for me to represent the United States on the international stage, especially at a moment when the whole world stands together,” LeBron James shared before the fourth Olympics of his career.
LeBron James is set to play in his fourth Olympics, equaling the basketball record of Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony.
In preparation for the Olympics starting this weekend, LeBron James and his teammates have just completed a series of friendly matches with a record of 5 wins.
Teammate Stephen Curry was the one who broke the news to the entire team in an internal meeting, announcing that LeBron James would carry the US sports flag at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Los Angeles Lakers star and captain of the US basketball team was quite emotional. He said he could not believe it and did not even dream of receiving such an honor.
Before LeBron, the US Basketball team had two representatives with the honor of carrying the national flag at the Olympic opening ceremony. Both were female players including Dawn Staley in Athens 2004 and Sue Bird in Tokyo 2021.
“As a kid from Akron, this responsibility means a lot to not only me but also my family, the kids who were born and raised in my hometown, my teammates and my fellow Olympians.
Sports has the power to bring us all together and I am so proud to be a part of this special moment,” said the captain of the US men’s 5×5 basketball team.
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the flag bearer for the US sports delegation will be Sue Bird, captain of the women’s 5×5 basketball team.
20 years ago, LeBron James had his first Olympics when he competed with the US team at the 2004 Athens Olympics. However, he had sad memories when he and his teammates only won the bronze medal, an achievement that although desirable to many people, was a big disappointment for US basketball.
Four years later, James and Kobe Bryant captained the “Avengers” at the 2008 Olympics, winning a gold medal for the US team to reaffirm the position of the world’s number 1 basketball nation. LeBron continued to win another Olympic gold medal in 2012 and then missed the next two Olympics.
LeBron James and 2 gold medals in the last 2 Olympics
Now, James is entering the final Olympics of his career with the goal of defending his title with his teammates, hoping to bring home his fifth consecutive gold medal.
LeBron James currently leads the history of American basketball with the most assists in the Olympics. He is the “king of scoring” in the NBA, has won the championship 4 times, won 4 MVP titles and has appeared in the most NBA All-Star games in the history of the league with 20 times.
LeBron James will be joined by another female athlete carrying the American flag at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The name will be revealed by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee tomorrow.
Taking place in Paris on Friday, July 26, the Olympic Opening Ceremony will be a highly anticipated event. For the first time, the opening ceremony will not take place in a stadium but in the city.
The sports delegations will travel by boat on the Seine River and pass by the Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris.
