Basketball legend LeBron James made history on several counts this summer. Besides signing a 2-year, $104 million at 39, he also became the first male basketball player ever to be elected as a Team USA flag for the Olympic Games. Speaking in a segment on the ‘Gojo and Golic’ show, James opened up on the experience and revealed his initial feelings upon receiving the honor.
Mike Golic: “It’s your third gold but through your career, to get voted captain is a cool thing. But you got to carry the flag, you were the flag bearer. Talk about that because… that’s really, really cool.”
LeBron James: “I didn’t know how to feel about it. I had seen so many different flag bearers and so many great athletes carry our flag and represent our country. We come into a team meeting and Steph [Curry], he did the video for me and then said in front of the team that I had become elected alongside the great Coco Gauff. The moment just kind of hit me then. It’s something that’s super surreal. To be in the front of that boat, in Paris with all our Olympians, and holding that flag was just such a sense of pride.”
In the Olympics, it’s customary for each participating country to send flag bearers during the opening and closing ceremonies. This year, with the games set in Paris, Team USA had to choose four of their athletes to represent the nation in France.
LeBron James and tennis star Coco Gauff were the two players chosen for the opening ceremony, while Katie Ledecky (swimming) and Nick Mead (rowing) were the two flag bearers picked to close the games. Out of all Olympic history, James was the first men’s basketball player ever to get elected and it’s not something he took lightly.
During the opening festivities, LeBron played his role to perfection and proudly held the USA flag with a smile despite the pouring rain. During the actual tournament itself, LeBron was locked in and at the top of his game from start to finish.
In six games, James averaged 14.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and a team-best 10.2 assists per game. He came up big in the clutch time after time, saving Team USA in their most dire times of need and delivering them out of bad situations.
While Stephen Curry and other players made a strong case, LeBron James won MVP of the Olympics this year and that’s quite an impressive feat at 39 years old. Between his performance this summer and his track record of excellence of two decades, Team USA couldn’t have picked a better athlete to bear their flag.
Sadly, that Olympic run was probably LeBron’s last but at least he was able to make it count. He made a strong impression on both the fans and his fellow teammates while outpacing everyone else on the basketball court.
The truth is, LeBron’s success story is one of the best there is and he got the ending fitting for an American basketball legend. With some time left before it’s all said and done, LeBron will do everything in his power to go out as a winner but it’s fair to say that he’s accomplished just about everything one could imagine as a professional athlete.
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