The basketball star and the tennis champ served as flagbearers for Team USA in the Parade of Nations Opening Ceremony in Paris Sina Schuldt/picture alliance via Getty LeBron James and Coco Gauff took the lead for Team USA’s legion of Olympians during the opening ceremony for the in Paris. James, 38, and Gauff, 20, served as flagbearers for the American athletes during the Parade of Nations on Friday, July 26, a ceremonial kickoff that marks the start of the Games. Gauff rocked a poncho as she and James braved the rain beside nearly 600 of their fellow Team USA athletes, who smiled and cheered as they made their way down the river.
"I think what's different is always a new experience. New group of guys, some guys have never been Olympians before, so you want them to see the whole moment of being here in Paris," James of this year's Games. "This is a great opportunity for myself to continue to inspire the next generation, and [I'm] super excited to be here, man.
" For the first time in Olympics history, the opening ceremony was held not in a stadium, but in the Seine river, where 85 boats holding 6,800 athletes cruised down the iconic waterway. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Australia and the United States sailed at the end — before the host country — as they will be hosting the next two Summer Games (Los Angeles in 2028, and Brisbane in 2032).
Greece, led this year by flagbearer and NBA star , was first among the countries, as is tradition. Gauff's appearance as flagbearer for Tea.