Unless you're naive in the world of sports news, you've probably heard that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has been selected to carry the flag for Team USA at the Paris Olympics.
It is a great honor for each country to select one person to represent the entire nation.
And there is no better representative for the United States of America than a boy from Akron.
James is the epitome of the American Dream.
Born and raised by a single mother, James was able to overcome hardship and adversity through hard work and natural athletic talent, of course, which helped him smoothly transition from St. Vincent and St. Mary High School to NBA stardom, but James has been in the spotlight since he was a teenager.
At some point, he must have been tempted to take his foot off the gas. Given the societal pressures, especially growing up in Akron, it's possible that at some point he might have found himself in trouble or controversy. This kid whose instability forced him to live with his youth football coach is now a self-made millionaire.
He is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time: four NBA titles, four MVP awards, 20 NBA All-Star appearances, and two Olympic gold medals already.
And here he is, almost 40 years old, representing his country ahead of the Olympics, because he represents everything we should represent.
James is not only the face of the NBA, he is the face of American sports.
This Team USA men's basketball team is loaded with young, fresh talent that is at the peak of its power.
Remember when everyone was going crazy over Anthony Edwards during the NBA playoffs? What about reigning NBA champion Jayson Tatum trying to emulate the late, great Kobe Bryant at every turn?
The young cats are being bolstered by their grandpa James, who saved the U.S. national team from what could have been one of the biggest upsets in basketball history by narrowly beating South Sudan with a 43-point lead.
Shortly after being named the US team's flag bearer, James once again saved the US team's day by helping them win against Germany.
On the court, it may be hard for Team USA to win a gold medal — James teaming up with a young core of Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant could be the closest this generation has come to a Dream Team — but even head coach Steve Kerr acknowledges that USA Basketball has closed the gap.
Regardless of what happens between the four lines once the 2024 Paris Olympics begin, Team USA can rest easy knowing that James will be a worthy representative of our nation's track and field.
