Credits: SBNATION
In a surprising and heartfelt moment, NBA superstar Stephen Curry nominated LeBron James to be the flag bearer for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The announcement was made during a meeting in front of the Team USA men’s basketball team, with Curry breaking the news to James, saying, “You get to wave the flag in Paris, my man,” as shared in footage by USA Basketball.
LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers icon, will lead 593 American athletes during the opening ceremony on Friday. This ceremony will be historic, as it will take place outside a stadium, with athletes riding boats along the Seine River through Paris. James becomes the third basketball player, and the first men’s basketball player, to receive this honor. He will be joined by American women’s tennis star Coco Gauff, who at 20 years old, will be the first tennis player to serve as the United States flag bearer.
James, 39, has had a storied Olympic career. He was part of the 2004 Athens Olympics team that failed to win gold, but he later secured gold medals with the “Redeem Team” in 2008 and again at the 2012 London Olympics. The 2024 Paris Olympics will mark his return to the Games for the first time since 2012, potentially capping off his illustrious career.
In his address to Team USA following Curry’s announcement, James expressed his gratitude, saying, “It’s an absolute honor and to be able to share that moment with you guys is going to make it even more memorable. Team USA has given so much to all of us, to me over the last 20 years, and I understand right now in a country that’s so divided, I hope this moment and that moment will unite us or bring us together even for those split seconds, those hours that we travel across that water in Paris. So I will hold that responsibility with a lot of honor.”
James may be the most recognizable person to carry the United States flag at the Olympics, but the tradition of the flag bearer dates back more than 100 years.