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LA Lakers star and two-time Olympic gold medalist LeBron James has been named Team USA's Olympic ceremony male flag bearer for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. Voted for the honor by his fellow Olympians, James' selection marks the third basketball player and first men's basketball player to ever receive the honor in Team USA's history.
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Fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their reactions to the news of James' historic selection, with many congratulating the four-time NBA champion.
"MJ never did this," a fan tweeted.
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"Congratulations the King," a fan tweeted.
“'What do LeBron James and Patty Mills have in common' will be a nice trivia question soon," a fan tweeted.
"Noah Lyles punching air," a fan tweeted.
"Well-deserved. Stellar athlete and philanthropist. Good representative," a fan tweeted.
"I mean, he's the biggest and most famous American athlete going to this Olympic. I've always thought It'd either be him or Simone Biles," a fan tweeted.
With Team USA's female flag bearer to be announced later this week, LeBron James will join Dawn Staley for the Athens Games in 2004 and Sue Bird at the last Summer Games in Tokyo as the only basketball players to have received this honor.
LeBron James shares his reaction to being picked as Team USA's flag bearer for Olympic opening ceremony
LeBron James' long-time on-court rival and first-time Olympian, Stephen Curry, nominated James for the flagbearer role on behalf of the USA men's basketball team.
James expressed gratitude for the honor and elaborated on what it means for him to represent his country on the global stage.
“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 home town, 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,” he added.
LeBron James will make his fourth Olympic appearance in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics in the span of his 21-year basketball career. His first appearance was in Athens 2003, which featured Team USA securing the bronze medal in the men's basketball tournament.
James was then a crucial part of the "Redeem Team" for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which marked his first Olympic gold medal as Team USA became World Champions again.
The NBA's all-time leading scorer then secured his second gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and has since not participated in the international tournament up until the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
