LeBron James is returning to the Summer Olympics.
And the four-time NBA MVP will be ready for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday, when he will lead the U.S. team in the nations parade alongside tennis star Coco Gauff.
On Friday, the United States Basketball Association tweeted a video on X (formerly Twitter) of the two-time Olympic gold medalist getting fitted ahead of Friday night’s opening ceremony in Paris.
Paris 2024: Meet the members of the U.S. Summer Olympic team
James, who was informed earlier this week by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry that he would be the flag bearer for the U.S., said the opportunity to lead the U.S. Olympic team was a “true honor.”
“It’s a true honor, and sharing this moment with all of you makes it even more memorable. I’m so grateful,” James said after learning he’d been selected as the flag bearer at a team meeting in London earlier this week. “Team USA has given so much to all of us, to me, over the last 20 years. I understand that right now our country is divided, and I hope that this moment, that moment, will unite us, bring us together, even if just for a moment, for a few hours, as we cross the waters of Paris. So I’m very honored by that responsibility.”
The 2024 Paris Olympics will mark James’ return to the Olympic stage. He hasn’t played for the U.S. basketball team in a Summer Olympics since the 2012 London Olympics. James will be looking to make history by winning another basketball gold medal, but he’ll also make history at the Opening Ceremony on Friday, when he becomes the first men’s basketball player to serve as the flag bearer for the U.S.
James, regarded as perhaps the greatest player in basketball history, scored 25 points in an exhibition game between USA Basketball and South Sudan in London on July 20, including the game-winning point with just seconds left.
Must read: LeBron James’ Standard Bearer: The Complete (and Sometimes Controversial) History of Team USA’s Olympic Honors
Why is LeBron James wearing a white jacket at the Olympic Opening Ceremony?
As one of the two flag bearers for Friday’s opening ceremony, which will be held on the Seine River instead of the Olympic Stadium for the first time in Olympic history, James and Gauff will be dressed differently from the rest of the U.S. team.
While the rest of the U.S. team will wear navy blue wool blazers with red and white trim, James and Gauff will wear white wool blazers with red and blue trim.
This is what James’ outfit looked like at the opening ceremony.
Below is the outfit the rest of the U.S. team will be wearing on Friday:
Either way, James, Gauff and the entire U.S. team are sure to be prominent in Friday’s parade of international players.
