The basketball star and the tennis champ served as flagbearers for Team USA in the Parade of Nations Opening Ceremony in Paris

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Coco Gauff, LeBron James and Team USA at the Olympics opening ceremony
LeBron James and Coco Gauff took the lead for Team USA’s legion of Olympians during the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Games 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 told NBC 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.

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Team USA cruises down the Seine during the opening ceremony.
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 Giannis Antetokounmpo, was first among the countries, as is tradition.

Gauff’s appearance as flagbearer for Team USA makes her the first U.S. tennis player to ever serve in the role, and the youngest American flagbearer in Olympic history.

“I have no idea what we’re supposed to do,” she joked to reporters at a press conference on Thursday, July 25. “They only thing I know is the jacket and I only know that because they showed it to me. I have no clue. I wish I knew!… But I’m sure they’re going to set me up tomorrow at least, and I’m excited to be on the Seine.”

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Team USA waves the flag during the opening ceremony
Out in the audience, Team USA supporters David Robbins and Katrina Palanca, from San Antonio, Texas, celebrated their patriotism by dressing in matching Statue of Liberty costumes as they cheered on their hometown heroes.

“It was just a cool way to represent the U.S. without it being red, white and blue, in your face,” Palanca tells PEOPLE.

Team USA wore custom Ralph Lauren designs as they make their way down the Seine. All of the athletes are wearing navy blue blazers, while James and Gauff are rocking special white blazers in honor of their roles as flagbearers.

David Lauren, the company’s chief branding and innovation officer, tells PEOPLE that the goal with the looks was for the sports stars to “come out feeling like statesmen” and “ambassadors for America and the American Dream.”

“Everybody’s wearing a blue blazer except for Coco and LeBron. They’re going to have it in sharp white with beautiful red and white on the sleeves, and blue,” Lauren says. “It really feels distinctively American, but they get to wear it with some kind of cool white jeans. It’s just something that feels iconic, very Ralph Lauren and distinctively American.”

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Team USA during the opening ceremony at the 2024 Paris Olympics
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Lauren, 52, also reveals that the city of Paris “certainly” inspired this year’s designs, and that fans “can see little elements of Paris on every uniform.”

Ralph Lauren also designed Team USA’s closing ceremony outfits, which the athletes will wear when they wrap things up at the Stade de Franc on Aug. 11.

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