It’s only fitting that one of the biggest sporting stars on the planet will carry the American flag for his country at the Olympic Opening Ceremonies.
James, who has previously led Team USA to a pair of gold medals, has won four NBA titles and is that league’s all-time scoring leader, was selected by his fellow U.S. Olympians to be the male flagbearer at Friday night’s flashy ceremony.
“Sports have the power to bring us all together, and I’m proud to be a part of this important moment,” James told reporters. “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 becomes the first male basketball player to carry the flag to begin an Olympics. Two female players — Dawn Staley in Athens in 2004 and Sue Bird in Tokyo in 2021 — previously did it. This year’s female American flagbearer has not yet been revealed.
James competed in his first Olympics in 2004 as a 19-year-old. That team was a spectacular failure, losing its first game to Puerto Rico by 19 points and eventually landing only a bronze medal. James was then a key member of the 2008 “Redeem Team” which steamrolled the competition on the way to gold. The 2012 team won gold in London, with James again helping lead the way, but he has not played at an Olympics since, skipping 2016 and 2021.
The 39-year-old continues to play at an All-NBA level even in his record-tying 22nd season, and learned of the choice when Stephen Curry told him in a nomination video released by USA Basketball. Besides James and Curry, the loaded American team also features fellow former NBA MVPs Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid, plus Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker Anthony Edwards and more.
Not all athletes take in the opening ceremonies — some aren’t on site yet, some prefer to focus on training — but James has walked in his three previous Olympic appearances and now will lead the way for an American delegation made up of nearly 600 athletes.
It will be a long wait for James and his countrymen, since the U.S. will be the second-last nation to ride on the River Seine as part of the event, which will be watched by millions worldwide. Host France will go last. Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Summer Games.