LeBron James is set to make history at the Paris Olympics by being the first U.S. men’s basketball player to be a flag bearer at the games.
This marks the third time in history a basketball player has been a flag bearer at the games, with Sue Bird carrying the flag during the opening ceremony of the 2020 games in Tokyo, while Dawn Staley had the duty at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
These games are special for LeBron, as they’ll almost assuredly be his last. A four-time Olympian, he represented the United States in 2004, 2008, and 2012 — but missed the 2016 and 2020 games to focus on the NBA. Now at the age of 39 there’s a very good chance he won’t be playing for the national team in 2028, and the significance of the moment isn’t lost on LeBron.
“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.”
The Paris games mark a chance for Team USA to make a major statement. Much of the talk has been around how the world is catching up in basketball, and that the United States’ dominance has ended after a 4th place finish at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, but the NBA’s best have all come to play this games to establish the pecking order in global basketball.
Here’s how LeBron slots in with every U.S. flag bearer in the past.
United States Summer Olympic flag bearers
Years
City
Name
Sport
Years
City
Name
Sport
1908
London
Ralph Rose
Athletics
1912
Stockholm
George Bonhag
Athletics
1920
Antwerp
Pat McDonald
Athletics
1924
Paris
Pat McDonald
Athletics
1928
Amsterdam
Bud Houser
Athletics
1932
Los Angeles
Morgan Taylor
Athletics
1936
Berlin
Al Jochim
Gymnastics
1948
London
Ralph Craig
Athletics
1952
Helsinki
Norman Armitage
Fencing
1956
Melbourne
Norman Armitage
Fencing
1960
Rome
Rafer Johnson
Athletics
1964
Tokyo
Patty O’Brien
Athletics
1968
Mexico City
Janice Romary
Fencing
1972
Munich
Olga Fikotova
Athletics
1976
Montreal
Gary Hall
Swimming
1984
Los Angeles
Ed Burke
Athletics
1988
Seoul
Evelyn Ashford
Athletics
1992
Barcelona
Francie Larrieu Smith
Athletics
1996
Atlanta
Michael Matz
Equestrian
2000
Sydney
Cammi Granato
Canoeing
2004
Athens
Dawn Staley
Basketball
2008
Beijing
Lope Lomong
Athletics
2012
London
Mariel Zagunis
Fencing
2016
Rio de Janeiro
Michael Phelps
Swimming
2020
Tokyo
Sue Bird
Basketball
2020
Tokyo
Eddy Alvarez
Baseball
2024
Paris
LeBron James
Basketball
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