LeBron James didn’t know exactly what the opening ceremony entailed when he was selected for his first Olympic Games in 2004.
This time he will be one of the stars of the show.
James has been selected by his fellow American Olympians to serve as the male flag bearer for the Americans during Friday night’s opening ceremony for the Games in Paris. He will become the third basketball player – and the first male player – to carry the American flag at the Olympic Games, following Dawn Staley at the 2004 Athens Games and Sue Bird at the 2021 Tokyo Games.
“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this world stage, especially at a time that can bring the entire world together,” James said. “As a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything, not just to me, 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 has the power to bring us all together, and I’m proud to be a part of this important moment.”
James, 39, was notified of the honor in London on Monday, hours before the U.S. men’s team was scheduled to play its final Olympic practice match against world champion Germany.
American star player and debuting Olympian Stephen Curry also nominated James for the role of flag bearer on behalf of the US men’s team.
“We understand what an honor it is to hold that position and I think Bron’s entire career, on and off the court, speaks for itself and he deserves that honor,” Curry said in the nomination video.
“He has exemplified what it means to be outstanding both on and off the field in his dedication to service and uplifting the community in all the ways he knows has been a lifelong passion,” Curry added. “And the work speaks for itself.”
The female U.S. flag bearer is expected to be announced Tuesday. The International Olympic Committee decided in 2020 that national delegations would have two flag bearers — one male, one female — at the Olympic Games’ opening ceremonies, a move aimed at promoting gender equality. The U.S. is expected to have nearly 600 athletes at the Paris Games, about 53% of them are women.
“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,” said Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
James — a global icon, four-time NBA champion and the league’s all-time leading scorer entering his 22nd NBA season — will be competing in his fourth Olympic Games, having been part of U.S. teams that won bronze in 2004, gold in Beijing in 2008 and gold again in London in 2012. He ran in the Opening Ceremonies at each of his previous three Olympics.
This time he will float.
This will be an opening ceremony like no other in Olympic history: thousands of athletes will be part of a flotilla sailing along the river Seine at sunset toward the Eiffel Tower. It is a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route, with some 320,000 guests watching from the riverbank and about 1 billion more, Olympic officials estimate, watching on televisions around the world.
Not all Olympic athletes will participate in the opening ceremony; many will skip it for logistical reasons, such as the day after. James and the four-time reigning U.S. men’s gold medalist won’t open the Games until Sunday, when they face Serbia in Lille, France.
James and the U.S. Olympians will have to wait longer than almost any other country to make their way across the Seine. Following IOC custom, Greece — with NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo as one of two flag bearers — will lead the procession, followed by the Refugee Olympic team and then some 200 other national delegations. The U.S. is expected to be the next-to-last in the procession, since Los Angeles is scheduled to host the next Summer Games in 2028.
France, as host, will be the final nation in the opening ceremony. The men’s basketball team, featuring reigning NBA rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama, opens the Olympic Games on Saturday and is not expected to attend the opening ceremony.
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games