There are a lot of prestigious awards and honors in the world of sports. League MVPs signal a player's individual excellence, while awards like the Walter Payton Man of the Year award demonstrate players' excellence outside of sports. Of course, though, the Olympic Games are the highest level of sports, as the top athletes from around the world face off in almost every sport in the pinnacle of athletics.
The Winter and Summer Olympics both take place every four years, and the highest honor a country can place on one of their athletes is to make them the country's flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony. The 2024 Olympic Games are just around the corner, and the United States just announced legendary NBA player LeBron James as the nation's flag bearer this year.
James, who entered professional basketball back in 2003, will be playing on the United States Olympic team for the fourth time, but the first time since 2012. One of the best basketball players ever, James has been playing at a high level for a long time, but this will likely be his last Olympic Games, considering the forward is 39 years old.
Flag bearers carry the national flag for their respective country during the Opening Ceremony, and James will be doing so this year on Friday, July 26, as the first men's basketball player to do so for the United States. In this article, we will look at every United States flag bearer since 1908 for both The Winter and Summer Olympics. Since 1992, there have been flag bearers for both the Opening and Closing Ceremony.
United States Summer Olympics flag bearers
- 1908: Ralph Rose, Athletics and tug of war (opening)
- 1912: George Bonhag, Athletics (opening)
- 1920: Pat McDonald, Athletics (opening)
- 1924: Pat McDonald, Athletics (opening)
- 1928: Bud Houser, Athletics (opening)
- 1932: Morgan Taylor, Athletics (opening)
- 1936: Al Jochim, Gymnastics (opening)
- 1948: Ralph Craig, Athletics (opening)
- 1952: Norman Armitage, Fencing (opening)
- 1956: Norman Armitage, Fencing (opening)
- 1960: Rafer Johnson, Athletics (opening)
- 1964: Parry O'Brien, Athletics (opening)
- 1968: Janice Romary, Fencing (opening)
- 1972: Olga Fikotova, Athletics (opening)
- 1976: Gary Hall, Swimming (opening)
- 1984: Ed Burke, Athletics (opening)
- 1988: Evelyn Ashford, Athletics (opening)
- 1992: Francie Larrieu Smith, Athletics (opening)/ Peter Westbrook, Fencing (closing)
- 1996: Bruce Baumgartner, Wrestling (opening)/ Michael Matz, Equestrian (closing)
- 2000: Cliff Meidl, Canoeing (opening)/ Rulon Gardner, Wrestling (closing)
- 2004: Dawn Staley, Basketball (opening)/ Mia Hamm, Women's soccer (closing)
- 2008: Lopez Lomong, Athletics (opening)/ Khatuna Lorig, Archery (closing)
- 2012: Mariel Zagunis, Fencing (opening)/ Bryshon Nellum, Athletics (closing)
- 2016: Michael Phelps, Swimming (opening)/ Simone Biles, Gymnastics (closing)
- 2020: Sue Bird/Eddy Alvarez, Basketball/Baseball (opening)/ Kara Winger, Athletics (closing)
- 2024: LeBron James, Basketball, (opening)
United States Winter Olympics flag bearers
- 1924: Taffy Abel, Hockey
- 1928: Godfrey Dewey, President of Lake Placid Organization Committee
- 1932: Billy Fiske, Bobsleigh
- 1936: Rolf Monsen, Cross-country skiing
- 1948: Jack Heaton, Skeleton
- 1952: James Bickford, Bobsleigh
- 1956: James Bickford, Bobsleigh
- 1960: Don McDermott, Speed skating
- 1964: Bill Disney, Speed skating
- 1968: Terry McDermott, Speed skating
- 1972: Dianne Holum, Speed skating
- 1976: Cindy Nelson, Alpine Skiing
- 1980: Scott Hamilton, Figure Skating
- 1984: Frank Masley, Luge
- 1988: Lyle Nelson, Biathlon
- 1992: Bill Koch, Cross-country skiing
- 1994: Cammy Myler, Luge (opening)/ Dan Jansen, Speed skating (closing)
- 1998: Eric Flaim, Speed skating (opening)/ Cammi Granato, Hockey (closing)
- 2002: Amy Peterson, Short track speed skating (opening)/ Brian Shimer, Bobsleigh (closing)
- 2006: Chris Witty, Speed skating (opening)/ Joey Cheek, Speed skating (closing)
- 2010: Mark Grimmette, Luge (opening)/ Bill Demong, Nordic combined (closing)
- 2014: Todd Lodwick, Nordic combined (opening)/ Julie Chu, Hockey (closing)
- 2018: Erin Hamlin, Luge (opening)/ Jessie Diggins, Cross-country skiing (closing)
- 2022: John Shuster/Brittany Bowe, Curling/Speed skating (opening)/ Elana Meyers, Bobsleigh (closing)
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