For the fifth time in her career of 27 years, Lauren Jackson will again represent her country in Paris. With Tess Madgen leading the Opals, the 7xWNBL champion will come back, becoming the only Australian player to feature in five Olympic Games. Jackson’s selection to the 2024 team marks an incredible return after over a decade. The last time she competed on the international stage was at the London Olympics in 2012, where she was the Australian Flag bearer.

On the professional front, Lauren Jackson has accomplished huge milestones and has a well-established name for herself, but what about her story when it comes to the love of her life?

Lauren Jackson’s life with husband Paul Byrne

Lauren Jackson is happily married to former basketball player turned journalist Paul Byrne. It’s been a decade since the couple tied the knot in 2014 after dating for some time. Born in 1979, Byrne prefers to keep away from the spotlight. He has no social profiles on the internet. Having played basketball himself, the 45-year-old is almost an inch shorter than his wife.

For Jackson, it is a blessing to have a supportive partner who has played an instrumental role in uplifting her by offering an understanding perspective when times got demanding. In 2016, Jackson announced her retirement as the couple was cheerfully embracing the responsibilities that were coming their way. In February 2017, Jackson and Byrne welcomed their firstborn, Harry.

“Having Harry was the best moment in my life, without a doubt. Looking back, I’ve been really fortunate to have done what I did in my career. But now I’m fortunate to be focusing on Harry and my kids,” Jackson expressed her thoughts of becoming a mother for the first time. The next year, their family of three grew to four when they welcomed their second child, Lenny, in December 2018.

In 2019, she was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame, then the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020, and finally the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. Now with the Olympics right around the corner, Jackson is going for the golden win with the Opals. But let’s explore her Olympic journey before that.

Jackson’s national team career at the Olympics

As one of Australia’s finest female basketball players, Lauren Jackson guided the Australian women to three silver medals in four Olympic Games: Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), and Beijing 2008. Moreover, she carried the Australian flag during the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony and led the Opals to bronze.

Her national team journey began in 1997 when she was selected to the Australian U20 team at the age of just 14 years. She competed for the Australian Junior Women’s Team in the World Championship in Brazil, where she guided them to silver medals. At the time, she averaged 14.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She won her second silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics, averaging 18 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

In the 2004 Summer Olympics, she averaged 22.9 points and 10 rebounds per game. Jackson led the team to the gold medal game and yet again they were to face Team USA as their opponent. Hence, she ended up winning another silver. In 2006, Jackson became her team’s captain and led them to the World Championship in Brazil and defeated Russia in the gold medal game. This was the first time Australia had won a gold medal ever.

She continued her role as the team’s captain in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, where the team added another silver medal to their collection. However, her time at the 2012 Summer Olympics was hindered as she tore her adductor magnus muscle during the Australian training camp held in the Czech Republic. Moreover, she sustained a hamstring injury that prevented her from getting much play time during the Olympic Tournament. Hence, the team was able to get only a bronze medal in the play-off with Russia.

Two years later, she committed to play for the Opals at the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women. However, she had to give up on the tournament to undergo surgery and fix a torn labrum in September 2014.

In 2016, she announced her retirement during the Opals training camp in Canberra, owing to her poor health conditions. However, 6 years later, she decided to return at the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Sydney, where she clinched a bronze in the Opals victory over Canada. This time, she will be looking to get one over Team USA.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video: