LeBron James to Lead U.S. Olympians in Historic Paris Opening Ceremony

LeBron James has been chosen as the male flagbearer for the U.S. team at the Paris Olympics' opening ceremony. This notable event will see athletes floating down the River Seine. James is set to compete in his fourth Olympics after previously winning two gold medals and a bronze.

LeBron James wasn't entirely aware of the significance of the opening ceremony during his first Olympics in 2004. Now, he will be one of its main attractions.

James has been chosen by his U.S. teammates to serve as the male flagbearer for the Americans in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. He will become the third basketball player—and first male basketball athlete—to bear the U.S. flag at the start of the Olympics, following Dawn Staley in 2004 and Sue Bird in 2021.

The 39-year-old James received the news in London on Monday, just hours before the U.S. men's team was set to play its final pre-Olympics exhibition game against World Cup champion Germany.

“There's obviously the utmost respect for who he is as a person and a player, and how good he is,” said Stephen Curry, a fellow U.S. star and first-time Olympian.

The International Olympic Committee has decided that each delegation will have two flagbearers—one male and one female—to promote gender equality. The U.S. is expected to have about 600 athletes at the Paris Games, with roughly 53% being female.

James will compete in his fourth Olympics after participating and winning medals in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Games. The opening ceremony will see thousands of athletes float along the River Seine in a historic flotilla watched by an estimated 320,000 spectators in person and 1 billion globally.

The U.S. athletes, including James, will have one of the longest waits for their turn to float down the Seine, following IOC custom which places Greece and the Refugee Olympic Team at the front of the procession. The U.S. is scheduled to be next-to-last, ahead of host nation France.