NBA superstar LeBron James has been tapped to lead American athletes during the Parade of Nations at the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
James was announced as Team USA's male flag bearer for Paris 2024 on TODAY Monday morning. He becomes 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 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.”
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The 39-year-old forward helped Team USA's men's basketball team escape South Sudan in an exhibition game Saturday. James finished with a team-high 23 points and shot 9-for-13 from the field. He added six rebounds and seven assists over 23 minutes of gametime.
If that wasn't enough, the two-time Olympic gold medalist made what turned out to be the game-winning layup with eight seconds left in the contest.
Fellow U.S. star and first-time Olympian Stephen Curry, on behalf of the U.S. men’s team, nominated 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.
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“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.”
When does Team USA men's basketball play next?
The U.S. men’s team was scheduled to play its final pre-Olympics exhibition game Monday against World Cup-champion Germany.
Group C competition begins for the Americans on Sunday, July 28, when they take on Serbia at 11:15 a.m. ET.
That contest can be seen on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
Who is the female flag bearer for the United States in 2024?
The female U.S. flagbearer is expected to be revealed Tuesday.
The International Olympic Committee decided in 2020 that national delegations would have two flagbearers — one male, one female — at the opening ceremony at an Olympics, a move to promote gender parity.
The U.S. is expected to have nearly 600 athletes in the Paris Games, about 53% of them female.