One of the most recognizable athletes on Team USA will lead the delegation into the 2024 Paris Olympics this week.
LeBron James has been voted by fellow U.S. athletes as one of the two flag bearers for Friday’s Opening Ceremony, which will take place on barges floating down the Seine River in the middle of Paris. James, who is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is making his fourth and perhaps final Olympic appearance after previously representing Team USA in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
“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 released by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
“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.”
James will be Team USA’s male flag bearer at the opening ceremony, while the USOPC said the delegation’s female flag bearer will be unveiled Tuesday. The flag bearers were selected by a vote of the 592 athletes on Team USA, orchestrated by the team’s athletes’ commission.
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According to the USOPC, James is the first U.S. men’s basketball player to serve as flag bearer and just the third basketball player of any gender, joining Sue Bird (2020) and Dawn Staley (2004).
The opening ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET (or 7:30 p.m. local time) on Friday. It has been billed as a spectacle by the International Olympic Committee and Paris 2024 organizers, with the ceremony taking place along a three-plus mile stretch of the Seine rather than a traditional stadium. The typical parade of nations will feature delegations of athletes floating down the river in boats before disembarking in front of the Trocadero.
Because the U.S. is hosting the next edition of the Summer Games, in Los Angeles in 2028, it will be the second-to-last boat in Friday’s order − only ahead of the current hosts, France.