Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has been chosen as the male flag bearer for Team USA at the Olympics, with the opening ceremony set to take place Friday evening in Paris, as announced by officials on Monday. A female flag bearer will be announced later this week.
James is the first male basketball player to carry the flag for Team USA. At the 2022 Winter Olympics, speed skater Brittany Bowe and curler John Shuster were the flag bearers for the opening ceremony. In the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, baseball player Eddy Alvarez and basketball player Sue Bird had the honor of carrying the flag for Team USA.
James made his Olympic debut in 2004, where the team had a disappointing performance, managing to secure only a bronze medal. It was the first time since professional players were allowed to compete in the Olympics that the U.S. did not win a gold medal in men’s basketball.
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James returned to the Olympic team four years later, joining the “Redeem Team” that went on to win a gold medal in dominant fashion. He repeated the feat in the following Olympics, securing another gold medal for the U.S.
Despite skipping the 2016 and 2020 Games, the U.S. won gold in both instances. Heading into the 2024 Olympics, Team USA is heavily favored to win their fifth consecutive gold medal in men’s basketball, but they may face tough competition from Serbia, led by Nikola Jokic, along with strong teams from Canada, France, and Germany in the knockout rounds.
