The upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics may be the last international stint for Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. Therefore, with just one week before the main games, the 39-year-old is being bestowed with the ultimate honor! Before a recent exhibition basketball matchup against Germany, Team USA announced that LeBron James would serve as the male flag bearer during the opening ceremony. The decision was made after Stephen Curry nominated his NBA rival, and the other Olympians voted in.

Through this honor, LeBron will become the first male basketball player to carry the prestigious stars and stripes, representing the roster that has won four consecutive gold medals in the sport. However, it is interesting to note that while he is the first male athlete, he is the third one from the sport of basketball to be the flag bearer. Before him, renowned WNBA stars Dawn Staley and Sue Bird were granted this opportunity.

Before looking into LeBron’s honor, let’s first look back at the two legendary WNBA players who had this honor before him.

Who are Dawn Staley and Sue Bird?

Dawn Staley

Dawn Staley served as a professional player in the WNBA from 1999-2005. Today, she continues to be associated with the sport as the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks Women’s Basketball Team.

Staley’s eight-year stint with the WNBA saw her achieve memorable success. While she never secured a championship trophy, she was named to the All-Star Team on six occasions and was honored for her contribution as a player by being named to the 10 and 15 WNBA Anniversary Teams. During the 263 games she played for the Charlotte Sting and the Houston Comets combined, she averaged 8.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. By 2004, she was the career leader in assists in the entirety of Women’s Basketball, having recorded 1,601 during her two seasons with the ABL and her initial five seasons with the WNBA.

The 2004 Athens Games marked Dawn Staley’s third Olympic stint. Prior to that, she was part of the 1996 and 2000 Team USA women’s rosters that secured gold medals. Whether it was her winning streak or something else, the majority of captains of other sports representing Team USA chose to vote for the Charlotte Sting guard as the individual to carry the flag. With the honor never having been granted to a basketball player before, Dawn Staley was certainly taken aback.

“I am in disbelief” said the player during a two-decade old interview. “I am a little girl from North Philadelphia in the housing projects . . . leading our U.S. delegation into the Opening Ceremony. It’s a tremendous honor. I am still in total disbelief.”

Sue Bird

Having played in the WNBA from 2002 to 2022, several reports list Sue Bird among the top 15 players of all time from the league. Her 20-year stint with the Seattle Storm earned her 4 WNBA championships, 13 All-Star selections, and over 8 All-WNBA Team honors.

Bird averaged 11.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 5.6 assists during her tenure in the top league. With over 3,234 career assists to her name, she continues to hold the #1 spot even after retirement. Courtney Vandersloot, the second-highest-ranking assists leader, is still behind by 517. Her achievements are equally impressive on the international stage, with five consecutive Olympic gold medals. This ties her with Diana Taurasi for the most gold medals in US Basketball, both male and female.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Sue Bird’s fifth and final games, saw her and 2014 Winter Olympic silver medalist Eddy Alvarez selected as flag bearers. The duo was chosen from a field of 613 representatives, 230 of whom were set to walk during the opening ceremony. Upon being informed, the WNBA star reminisced about the basketball star who received the same opportunity in 2004.

“It’s an incredible honor to be selected the flag bearer for Team USA,” said Bird. “I know what that means because I got to witness Dawn Staley go through it when she was selected in 2004. It’s an honor that is bigger than the moment in that you’ve been selected by your fellow Team USA athletes to represent the entire delegation, and it will last forever.”

LeBron James following in the same footsteps of these two legends stands as a testament to what he has achieved over his 19-year-long NBA career. Having been absent from the last two Olympics and still being chosen as the flag bearer, he is quite aware of what the vote of confidence from his teammate means.

LeBron James reflects on being selected as Team USA’s flag-bearer: “This responsibility means everything….”

Amidst a room of individuals heading to Paris in less than a week for the Olympics, it was Stephen Curry who first broke the news that LeBron James would be carrying the American flag during the opening ceremony. The room erupted into applause, while the man-of-the-hour took it all in with a bright smile on his face. This moment was 20 years in the making, and the player would have been remiss if he hadn’t shared just how much it meant to him.

“It’s an incredible honour to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together,” said LeBron James in a statement. “For a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything to not only myself but to my family, all the kids in my hometown, my team-mates, fellow Olympians and so many people across the country with big aspirations.”

In the nomination video presented to the committee, Stephen Curry emphasized LeBron’s career and how his demeanor, both on and off the court, justifies why he should carry the stars and stripes. He concluded by stating, “He has represented what it means to be excellent both on and off the court in his commitment to service and to uplifting the community in all ways that he knows how has been a lifelong passion. And the work speaks for itself.”

The opening ceremony, held on Friday along the shores of the River Seine, will be watched by sports fans from around the world. With LeBron James leading the USA vanguard, holding the flag will be a perfect honor, and perhaps a final sendoff, for the player who has worked tirelessly over two decades to become one of the greatest basketball players of the modern generation.