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LeBron James to be Team USA Flagbearer for Paris Olympics

FILED - 02 September 2018, Berlin: Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James speaks during a promotion tour under the name of "More than an athlete." Photo: Carsten Koall/dpa
FILED - 02 September 2018, Berlin: Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James speaks during a promotion tour under the name of "More than an athlete." Photo: Carsten Koall/dpa
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LeBron James to be Team USA Flagbearer for Paris Olympics

FILED - 02 September 2018, Berlin: Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James speaks during a promotion tour under the name of "More than an athlete." Photo: Carsten Koall/dpa
FILED - 02 September 2018, Berlin: Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James speaks during a promotion tour under the name of "More than an athlete." Photo: Carsten Koall/dpa

LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading points scorer, will be the male flagbearer for Team USA at the Paris Olympics, the USOPC announced on Monday.

James, 39, was picked by his fellow US Olympians for Friday's ceremony on the river Seine. The female flagbearer will be announced on Tuesday.

"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," Los Angeles Lakers power forward James said in a statement from the USOPC.

"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."

The ceremony on the Seine will be the first time a Summer Olympics has opened outside the main stadium.

James, an Olympic gold medallist in 2008 and 2012, is not the only NBA star set to bear the flag for his country in Paris.

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and league champion in 2021, will perform the role for Greece.

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Paris Hopes Security Won't Spoil the Party at 2024 Olympics Opening

FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 21, 2024 A police officer and a sniffer dog inspect a swimming pool area ahead of the Olympics REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 21, 2024 A police officer and a sniffer dog inspect a swimming pool area ahead of the Olympics REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
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Paris Hopes Security Won't Spoil the Party at 2024 Olympics Opening

FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 21, 2024 A police officer and a sniffer dog inspect a swimming pool area ahead of the Olympics REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 21, 2024 A police officer and a sniffer dog inspect a swimming pool area ahead of the Olympics REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

Paris makes final preparations for the Summer Olympics, the grand opening ceremony along the river Seine on Friday has created an unprecedented security challenge that organizers hope won't dampen the party vibe.
For the first time, a Games opening ceremony will not take place in a stadium. Instead, dozens of boats will carry thousands of athletes and performers on a 6-km (3.7-mile) floating parade down the Seine, showcasing the beauty and history of the French capital, said Reuters.
More than 300,000 people are expected to line both banks of the river to watch the ceremony - along with 45,000 police, including members of France's elite special intervention forces trained in counterterrorism.
Snipers will be deployed on the top of buildings along the route and an anti-drone system will be in place.
"There's a balance to be found between top security, which is absolutely the priority," Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, told a press conference on Sunday.
"It's part of the objective to guarantee the security and to propose a fantastic celebration of the Games... But to have this kind of unique celebration, you also need to have a very, very strong security plan. And that's the case."
The ceremony, which will start at 7:30 p.m. local time(1730 GMT), will be "a large fresco" celebrating Paris, France and the Games and will interweave the traditional parade by athletes with artistic performances and elements of protocol, said Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the opening ceremony.
With wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and security concerns at home, France is already at its highest level of security. The crowds set to descend on Paris will be in marked contrast to the atmosphere of the last Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 which played to empty arenas, and a year later than scheduled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
French officials have said there are no specific terrorism threats for the ceremony that will launch the Games in Paris, which run until Aug. 11.
However, should specific concerns arise, there are backup plans, that would either see the ceremony restricted to the Trocadero square near the Eiffel tower, or switched to the Stade de France stadium.