There are few greater honors for an athlete than being chosen to be their country’s flag bearer at the Olympics. It means they have been deemed worthy to be held up as a symbol of their nation’s values and 16 NBA players have been bestowed with that honor over the years. Here, we take a look at those fortunate men.
Andrew Gaze – Australia, 2000 Olympics
Andrew Gaze played just two seasons in the NBA (1993-94 and 1998-99) but has gone down as arguably the greatest Australian basketball player ever. He was a two-time NBL champion and a seven-time NBL MVP. Gaze competed at five Olympic games and was chosen to be the flag bearer in his last one, the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Yao Ming – China, 2004 and 2008 Olympics
Unlike Gaze, Yao Ming is somewhat of a household name for basketball fans around the world. Ming is the only player on this list to have been chosen as the flag bearer twice in the Olympics. Like Gaze, he got the honor of doing so when his nation was hosting the grand event, as the 2008 Olympics were held in China.
Carlos Arroyo – Puerto Rico, 2004 Olympics
Carlos Arroyo played in the NBA for nine seasons, but his finest hours as a basketball player came while representing Puerto Rico. Arroyo was chosen to be the nation’s flag bearer in the 2004 Olympics in Greece. In that tournament, he orchestrated a famous 92-73 win over Team USA, which ended their 16-year unbeaten streak at the event.
Manu Ginobili – Argentina, 2008 Olympics
While Arroyo helped inflict that loss in the group stage, Manu Ginobili helped Argentina beat Team USA in the semifinals and they went on to win the gold in 2004. It was only fitting then, that Ginobili was chosen as Argentina’s flag bearer for the 2008 Olympics.
Dirk Nowitzki – Germany, 2008 Olympics
In 2008, Dirk Nowitzki became the first basketball player to be given the honor of being Germany’s flag bearer. Nowitzki won his first and only MVP award in 2007 and had ended the national team’s 10+ years of absence from the Olympic games to get that honor.
Andrei Kirilenko – Russia, 2008 Olympics
Like Nowitzki, Andrei Kirilenko was the first basketball player to be Russia’s flag bearer. Kirilenko was one of the best defensive players in the world in the 2000s and while he was unable to lead the nation to a medal in 2008, they did win the bronze with him four years later in London.
Sarunas Jasikevicius – Lithuania, 2008 Olympics
Sarunas Jasikevicius might be a bit of an unknown for some, as he only played two seasons in the NBA but he has gone down as one of Lithuania’s greatest players. Jasikevicius also helped his nation beat Team USA in the 2004 Olympics and four years later, he became their flag bearer.
Pau Gasol – Spain, 2012 Olympics
Pau Gasol needs no introduction whatsoever and is he undoubtedly Spain’s greatest basketball player. Gasol helped Spain win two silver medals and a bronze at the Olympics and was given the honor of being their flag bearer in 2012.
Yi Jianlian – China, 2012 Olympics
Yi Jianlian didn’t quite turn out to be a star in the NBA like Ming but he is one of China’s basketball icons. Jianlian played a big part in the growth of basketball in the country and was their flag bearer in 2012.
Luis Scola – Argentina, 2016 Olympics
Luis Scola was a member of that triumphant 2004 Argentine team and he won 16 medals in total for his nation over the course of his career. Like Gaze, he played in five Olympics and in the 2016 edition, proudly carried the Argentine flag in Brazil.
Rui Hachimura – Japan, 2020 Olympics
Rui Hachimura is the third man on this list after Gaze and Ming to be the flag bearer when their nation hosted the Olympics. The 2020/2021 Tokyo Olympics were hosted amid all the chaos caused by COVID-19 and it would have been quite special for Hachimura to be the one to carry that flag.
Patty Mills – Australia, 2020 Olympics
History was made when Patty Mills was announced as Australia’s flag bearer for the 2020 Olympics. Mills was the first Indigenous man to be given that honor by the Aussies and he helped the Boomers win the bronze at that edition.
Tomas Satoransky – Czech Republic, 2020 Olympics
Tomas Satoransky became the first basketball player to be the Czech Republic’s flag bearer in 2020. Satoransky had led the national team to the Olympics for the first time in its history in that edition and it was a wonderful way to honor his and the team’s accomplishment.
LeBron James – USA, 2024 Olympics
Now, we get to the men who will be carrying their nation’s flag in 2024. It was just a couple of days ago, that LeBron James was announced as the flag bearer for the USA at the Olympics. He is the first male American basketball player to get that honor and the third basketball player overall, after Dawn Staley and Sue Bird.
Giannis Antetokounmpo – Greece, 2024 Olympics
Giannis Antetokounmpo will become the first basketball player and the first Black man to be the flag bearer for Greece at the 2024 Olympics. Antetokounmpo has led the Greek national team’s revival in recent years and I can’t think of too many better candidates than him to carry that flag.
Dennis Schroder – Germany, 2024 Olympics
Lastly, we get to Dennis Schroder, who was the latest NBA player to be announced as a flag bearer. Schroder led the Germans to their first-ever gold medal at the FIBA World Cup in 2023 and was named MVP of the tournament as well. Like Antetokounmpo, he is the first Black athlete to be the flag bearer for his nation.
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