Why LeBron is perfect flagbearer for Team USA at Paris Olympics

Why LeBron is perfect flagbearer for Team USA at Paris Olympics originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Standing in front of his Team USA teammates and coaches, Steph Curry delivered unforgettable news less than a week before the opening ceremonies at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

“You get to wave the flag in Paris, my man,” Curry said to a crowded room where his message was meant for one person only.

LeBron James, as voted by his fellow American Olympians, will be the United States’ male flag-bearer during Friday’s opening ceremonies, making him the first player from Team USA Men’s Basketball to receive the honor. Anthony Davis sat to James’ right where he was surrounded by a fleet of stars and future Hall of Famers. The faces were aplenty but aside from three, the rest of the room might as well have been empty.

As Curry addressed the group, a direct line could be drawn from himself to James and behind him to Kevin Durant. It was Durant who first congratulated James, getting him to turn over his left shoulder and dap the man who once was his ultra supervillain, sinking shots in the NBA Finals over him while wearing the same jersey colors as Curry. It was Curry and James’ Finals foe for four straight years whose origin stories both began at the same Akron hospital, who nominated him to make more history.

His reasoning was about far more than a never-ending list of basketball accomplishments.

The Warriors franchise icon in a video nomination message spoke about the global impact James has made on and off the court. Curry used James’ commitment to service in uplifting communities through his LeBron James Foundation and his I Promise School as two examples. The stats, the broken records, banners and trophies as a basketball player already speak for themself.

There will be times in Paris when younger players like Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum and others will shine brightest as the newest faces of the NBA for upcoming years. Not yet though. This is all about three names: Curry, Durant and James, the three faces of a generation of basketball fans getting a chance to play together one…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-lebron-perfect-flagbearer-team-143932491.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-07-26 14:39:32

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