Stephen Curry broke the news to LeBron James. At a meeting of the US basketball team, the Warriors star announced that the Lakers star will be the flag bearer for the American delegation at the opening ceremony of the Games, this Friday in Paris. “We understand the great honor of being in that position and I think Bron’s entire career, on and off the court, speaks for itself that he is worthy of that honor,” said Curry, who at 36 years old is a newcomer on the Olympic catwalk; “He has represented what it means to be excellent both on and off the court in his commitment to service and to elevating the community in every way.”
Sitting across from his teammate, The King beat his chest in gratitude for his teammate’s words. He then took the floor to highlight the fact that he carried the Stars and Stripes flag in the parade on the Seine and the symbolism that it represents in turbulent times in the United States. “In a country that is so divided, I hope that this moment unites us all even for a moment, a few seconds, for that moment when we will be sailing on the water in Paris, so I will carry that responsibility with great honor. For a boy from Akron, it means everything not only to me, but to my entire family, all the boys in my hometown. Sports have the power to unite us and I am proud to be part of this important moment.”
LeBron waved the political flag briefly but with a lot of symbolism. At 39 years old, and having become the undisputed leader of the United States team that aspires to its fifth consecutive Olympic gold (it would be the third for him after Beijing 2008 and London 2012, both against Spain), James is one of the great attractions at the Paris event and his power expands both with the ball in his hands and in front of the microphone. He was one of the great representatives in sport of the Black Lives Matter movement, against police repression in the United States towards black citizens, and has been the scourge of Donald Trump during his previous term and now in the face of the new presidential elections. Vice President Kamala Harris visited the American team on July 9 in Las Vegas and LeBron always appeared in the front row in a new gesture of support for the Democratic Party: he had previously placed himself on the side of Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.
“Going to the White House was an honor until you came along,” LeBron said years ago about Trump, when he refused to attend the traditional official reception of the US president to the NBA champions. James did not go with the Lakers, for example, when they conquered the pandemic league in 2020. “We live in two Americas,” he said after the assault on the Capitol in 2021 by Trump supporters. “If those who broke in were my kind, what would have been the result? I think we all know that. We know what would have happened if someone had approached the Capitol, and even more so if they had gone into the offices and the hallways.”
Trump also attacked the basketball player on several occasions, accusing him of dividing the country with his “disgusting comments” on racism. The former president insulted Colin Kaepernick, an American football player, for his gesture of kneeling during the American anthem in protest against police violence against blacks, and he disinvited Curry from going to the White House because the Warriors point guard was also undecided about whether to go or not.
LeBron James will become the first male basketball player to carry the flag for the United States on Friday, after players Dawn Staley and Sue Bird represented the country at the Olympic ceremonies in 2004 and 2021, respectively. It will be one of the great images of the opening ceremony. And, at its core, a moment of political symbolism as well.
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