Team USA arrived in style for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games by having two of the best athletes in the world, LeBron James and Coco Gauff, as the flag bearers for the opening ceremonies. Gauff and James led Team USA out on the Seine River Friday night as they were seen all over the world waving the American flag on their team boat.
For the first time at the Olympics, James and Gauff wore something different from the rest of Team USA at the opening ceremony. All competing athletes wore Polo-branded navy blue wool blazers with red and white details, James and Gauff sported white Polo-branded wool blazers with red and blue details. Both athletes were honored to have the opportunity to be flag bearers.
“Team USA has given so much to all of us, to me over the last 20 years, and I understand right now in a country that’s so divided, I hope this moment and that moment will unite us or bring us together even for those split seconds, those hours that we travel across that water in Paris. So I will hold that responsibility with a lot of honor,” Lebron James stated earlier in the week at a team meeting.
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Gauff also expressed to People.com how proud and emotional she felt upon learning that she had been selected to represent Team USA.
“I was very emotional when I was talking to my mom about it. I wanted to cry when I found out, but my whole team was there, so I went in the corner and did it,” Gauff said. “I truly am shocked, and I don’t take it for granted, and I am going to try and take it all in, and I know this will be a memory I will remember for the rest of my life.”
James became the first men’s basketball player to serve as a flag bearer for the United States. Gauff is now the youngest American flag bearer. The two found out they would be bearers under similar circumstances. Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry informed James of his opportunity. Candi and Corey Gauff knew before she did because they had to provide their names to security by July 23.
James is a veteran when it comes to participating in the Olympic games. He is a three-time Olympian who won two gold and one bronze medal. His last time competing in the Summer Olympics was at the 2012 London Games. The four-time NBA champion and 20x All-Star will begin his 22nd season this October.
Gauff will make her Olympic debut after missing the 2020 Tokyo Games due to COVID. The minor setback did not stop her from achieving one of her goals. At age 20, Gauff has won two Grand Slam titles, including the 2023 U.S. Open and the 2024 French Open in May. Gauff brings a wealth of big-match experience and is expected to perform at a high level during this Olympic Games.
The pair set the bar high for Team USA.
