LeBron James is about to make history yet again. The 39-year-old NBA superstar, about to compete in his fourth Olympics, will be one of two flag bearers for the U.S. Olympic team in Paris on Friday. (Coco Gauff, the 20-year-old reigning U.S. Open champion, will be the woman athlete carrying the flag.) Surprisingly, James will be the first men’s basketball player to carry the flag for the U.S. As he is arguably the greatest player to ever lace them up, he is a fitting first.
“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 in a Team USA 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 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.”
Floating in a boat on the Seine in Paris while waving the American flag is indeed a long way from Akron, Ohio.
James was voted to carry the flag by the other Olympians on Team USA. This is a vital detail, because the flag bearers are not usually the competitors with the most fame but the most game: the people whose athletic performances inspire documentarians for decades. But James, while certainly having the game, is a different kind of figure. He’s not so much an athlete as he is a brand, an institution, a corporation and a political lightning rod. It’s that last point that makes members of Team USA choosing him to represent them particularly significant.
In 2012, James helped organize his then-Miami Heat team to speak out against the killing of Trayvon Martin by the self-appointed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. He has spoken out forcefully against police brutality and racism. He was perhaps the most famous voice to say “Black lives matter.”








