James Will Lead US in Parade of Nations
Two-time gold medalist and four-time NBA Champion LeBron James has been named Team USA’s flag bearer for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games opening ceremonies. His fellow American Olympians selected James to lead America in the Parade of Nations.
The event will be unique to the Paris Olympics; the parade will take place on the famous River Seine, marking the first time that this part of the ceremony will not take place inside a stadium. Instead, the athletes will be carried on boats through the city.
In a statement, LeBron 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.”
James will be the first-ever male basketball player to serve in this role. Sue Bird and Dawn Staley are the only other basketball players to receive the honor. James helped Team USA to gold in 2008 and 2012 and bronze in 2004. This will be his fourth Olympic Games. Sue Bird was a flag-bearer in 2020 but will not be returning, having retired from basketball in 2022. Baseball player Eddy Alvarez was the male flag-bearer with Bird, but the sport has been dropped from the Olympics until 2028.
He will be joined by a US Woman’s flag bearer, who will be named on Tuesday. The ceremony will kick off the Games at 1:30 EST on Friday.
