The ultimate honor has been bestowed on the king. As a nineteen-year-old, LeBron James could not grasp how spectacular the opening ceremony was when he was selected for his first Olympics two decades ago in 2004. This time around, he will be front and center during the showcase, as one of the stars.
James has been chosen by his peers who are also representing the Red, White and Blue, to serve as the male flagbearer for the Americans in Friday night’s opening ceremony for the Paris Games. He joins a prestigious group becoming the third basketball player, and the first men’s player, to carry the U.S. flag at the start of an Olympics, joining Dawn Staley for the Athens Games in 2004 which were her last as a player, and Sue Bird for the Tokyo Games that happened in 2021.
“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. “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, and I’m proud to be a part of this important moment.”
The 39-year-old James received word of the honor Monday in London, a few hours prior to the U.S. men’s team tipping off its final pre-Olympics exhibition game against World Cup champion Germany.
Fellow U.S. star and first-time Olympian Stephen Curry, on behalf of the U.S. men’s team, nominated his friend and rival James for the flagbearer role.
“We understand how much of an honor it is to be in that position and I think Bron’s entire career, on and off the court, speaks for itself as him being worthy of that honor,” Curry said in the nomination video.
“He has represented what it means to be excellent both on and off the court in his commitment to service and to uplifting the community in all ways that he knows how has been a lifelong passion,” Curry added. “And the work speaks for itself.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThe female U.S. flagbearer is expected to be announced Tuesday. The International Olympic Committee decided in 2020 that national delegations would feature two flagbearers, one male, one female, at the opening ceremony at an Olympics, a move to promote gender equality. The U.S. is expected to field approximately 600 athletes in the Paris Games, about 53% of them female.
“Being selected by your teammates to carry the flag is a tremendous honor — and a testament to LeBron’s passion for Team USA and his dedication to his sport,” U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said.
James, who has become a global brand and icon over the past 22 years, a four-time NBA champion and the league’s all-time leading scorer set to go into his record-tying 22nd NBA season, (matched by only Vince Carter), is set to play in the Olympics for the fourth time, after he was part of U.S. teams that won bronze in 2004, gold at Beijing in 2008 and gold again in London in 2012. He walked in the opening ceremony at each of his three previous Olympics. This time, he will float.
This will be an opening ceremony unlike any other in Olympic history: Thousands of athletes will be part of a fleet of ships sailing along the River Seine at sunset toward the Eiffel Tower. It is a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route, with an estimated 320,000 guests set to watch from the river bank and about 1 billion more, Olympic officials estimate, taking in the spectacle on televisions around the world.
Not all Olympic athletes take part in the opening ceremony; many skip it for a myriad of reasons, such as having to compete the following day. James and the four-time defending gold medalist U.S. men do not open Olympic play until Sunday, when they face Serbia at Lille, France.
James and the U.S. Olympians will be waiting with anticipation longer than almost any other nation for their trip on the Seine. By IOC custom, Greece, which will have NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo as one of its two flagbearers, will lead the procession, followed by the Refugee Olympic Team and then about 200 more national delegations. The U.S. is scheduled to go next-to-last in the procession, because Los Angeles will be the host city for the next Summer Games in 2028.
France, as the host, will be the final nation in the opening ceremony procession. Its men’s basketball team, featuring reigning NBA rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama, opens Olympic play on Saturday and is not expected to be present for the opening ceremony.
