Fireworks, fans, and a final Olympics for LeBron James

As Paris celebrates the kickoff to the Olympics, a sports statesman starts his goodbyes. 

Basketball star LeBron James, who is carrying the U.S. flag with tennis player Coco Gauff at Friday’s opening ceremony, first participated in the Olympics 20 years ago. This will be his fourth – he sat out in 2016 and 2020 – and last. For this reporter, and basketball fan, it made me want to be here to witness these Games more. 

Mr. James has flourished, winning gold with the men’s team twice, and bronze in his 2004 debut in Greece. Two decades later, this Olympics is shaping up to be one of encouragement and poise – and may even include another visit to the podium.

This time, he is literally the standard-bearer – chosen by his fellow athletes to represent them.

Another basketball great, Stephen Curry, nominated him for the honor. “He has represented what it means to be excellent both on and off the court in his commitment to service and to uplifting the community in all ways that he knows how has been a lifelong passion,” Mr. Curry said in a video. “And the work speaks for itself.”

Mr. James sets the tone this year as the oldest (nearing age 40) and most decorated U.S. basketball player. After an exhibition game against Canada earlier this month, he gathered teammates on the court, put his arms across as many shoulders as he could reach, and offered words of encouragement. 

“I think LeBron – I don’t want to speak for him –  but I think he understands, like, ‘I’ve been through it. We have guys who haven’t,’” said managing director Grant Hill, who chose the members of this year’s team, at an event for reporters in New York this spring. Mr. Hill, himself an NBA Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medalist, added that Mr. James is a leader at the Olympics in the same way he has been to NBA players on the championship teams he’s been on.

The combination of Mr. Curry and Mr. James, Mr. Hill said, reminds him of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson playing on the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. Paris marks the first time the two superstars have played together.

Watching Mr. James and Mr. Curry in the game versus Canada earlier this month was beautiful. Basketball is my favorite sport. I love the language of body movements, jumping and cutting with no-look passes, windmill dunks, and long-range 3-point balls raining down. I fell in love with the language of the game like a hopeless romantic years ago. Watching this group, led by Mr. James, has been nothing short of spectacular. Every fast break. Every crisp pass. Every steal and block. Every dunk.

Gold is again the goal for Mr. James and his fellow ballers – though it may not be as easy as in the past. In an unexpected nail-biter against South Sudan last weekend, Mr. James saved the day for Team USA with a game-winning layup with eight seconds left to play. The result was a 1-point win over a motivated South Sudan team appearing in the Olympics for the first time.  

“I’m going to be honest: I like those better than the blowouts,” The Associated Press reported the forward saying. “At least we get tested.”

Another pre-Olympic exclamation point was when he put the team on his back in a win against the FIBA world champs, Germany, a few days after the South Sudan game. 

This is all much different from when Mr. James debuted at the Olympics 20 years ago as the NBA Rookie of the Year. That was before his grit and determination would be questioned. In time, he overcame those obstacles and won four championship rings. He honed his leadership chops by being consistent, working on his craft, and committing himself to getting better. Today he holds the record as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

“Team USA has given so much ... to me over the last 20 years,” Mr. James said when accepting the honor of carrying his country’s flag. He added an allusion to America’s election-year atmosphere. “In a country that’s so divided, I hope that moment will unite us or bring us together,” he said in a video shared by NBC’s “Today” show. 

It is special and sobering that this will be Mr. James’ last Games. He told reporters during training camp for the Olympics that he doesn’t have many years left in the NBA. He was clear that he won’t be at the Games in 2028, when they come to Los Angeles, where he has played with the champion Lakers for the past half-dozen years. Like Mr. Hill, co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks, Mr. James wants to be an NBA owner. He has his sights set on a new team in Las Vegas.

Men’s basketball couldn’t have had a better storyline this summer than Mr. James leading the charge in his final Games. 

Michael Jordan participating in 1992 inspired Mr. Hill to play in 1996. The snowball effect of those NBA All-Stars participating led to Mr. James and another Lakers great, Kobe Bryant, playing years later. One superstar stepping up to lead begets another. I’m happy to see this, because it means someone else great will come after Mr. James.

Ever wonder how Olympic basketball teams are chosen? Read our coverage here.