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Revolutionary War LeBron James wins 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony (PHOTOS)

Instantly-viral photos of flag-bearer LeBron eerily evokes an iconic George Washington portrait.
Matthew Graham|
USA forward Lebron James looks on during the third quarter against Canada in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena.
USA forward Lebron James looks on during the third quarter against Canada in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. | Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

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So we might have said the Parade of Nations during the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony was a bit... boring. The photos, on the other hand, were epic.

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Flag-bearer LeBron James (along with Coco Gauff) channeled his inner Founding Father when he held the flag for Team USA. 

Substitute the driving rain of LeBron holding the flag on the Seine in Paris for George Washington in the freezing-cold ice crossing the Delaware River into Pennsylvania in 1776, and the photo is pricelessly similar. 

The original “Washington Crossing the Delaware” was an 1851 painting by artist Emanuel Leutze that is a mainstay in history text books across the country. Fun fact: that version of the American flag wouldn’t have existed until 1777.

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The six foot, nine inch LeBron James stood out, even among a glorified party boat full of elite Olympic athletes.

LeBron won Opening Ceremony for Team USA!

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Matthew Graham
MATTHEW GRAHAM

Matthew Graham has over 20 years of media experience and oversees The Athlete Lifestyle On SI. He has had previous leadership roles at NBC Sports, Yahoo, and USA TODAY, where he co-founded For The Win (named Best Mobile Site by Digiday). He has also written for ESPN, Cosmopolitan, US Weekly, People, E! Online, and FHM, covering major sports and entertainment events like the Oscars, the Golden Globes, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, and winning the Yahoo Superstar Award for coverage of the Olympics.