Team USA Chooses Athlete To Act As Flag Bearer At 2024 Olympics

USA Basketball forward LeBron James will serve as the flag bearer for all of Team USA during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday (July 22).

USA Basketball shared a video of James' men's Olympic basketball teammate Stephen Curry revealing that the team successfully nominated him for the honor during a team meeting.

"On behalf of the entire men's Olympic basketball team we would like to nominate LeBron James to be the flag bearer for all of Team USA," Curry said over a montage of photos of James' Olympic career before the video cuts to the clip of the meeting. "He got that honor so you get to wave the flag in Paris, my man."

James, the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, will become the first men's basketball player to represent Team USA as its flag bearer in Olympic history. Five-time gold medalist Sue Bird (2020) and three-time gold medalist Dawn Staley (2004) had previously represented the USA women's basketball team as Team USA's flag bearers.

James will make his fourth Olympic appearance, having initially played for the bronze medal USA Basketball team during the 2004 Athens Olympics following the conclusion of his rookie season and returning for the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London games, winning gold both times. The 39-year-old ranks third in USA Basketball Olympics history with 273 career points (11.4 per game) behind only current teammate Kevin Durant and former teammate Carmelo Anthony.

James has served as the face of basketball throughout the majority of his 21-year NBA career, having been selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 1 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft and leading all three franchises he's played for -- the Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers -- to NBA championships. The Akron native enters his 22nd NBA season with the chance to become the first NBA player to play alongside his son after the Lakers selected Bronny James in the second-round of the 2024 NBA Draft last month.