“Congratulations my fellow flag bearer” – LeBron James echoes Barack Obama’s praise for Coco Gauff after French Open triumph

LeBron James and former President Barack Obama lined up to congratulate US tennis star Coco Gauff after a major feat on the world stage. The current world No. 2 tennis player won her second Grand Slam title after two years.

The former president wrote a post on X in reply to Roland Garros’ social media post. In his encouraging message for Gauff, Obama also revealed a fun fact about the American player.

“Congratulations to @CocoGauff for an amazing championship at the French Open — the first American singles champion at @RolandGarros in a decade. You make us all proud,” Obama wrote.

Gauff was represented as the co-flag bearer LeBron James at the Paris Olympics.

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"I SECOND THAT!!! Congratulations my fellow flag bearer @CocoGauff 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🤎," James commented.

Coco Gauff won her first French Open and became the first player since Serena Williams in 2015 to win the title at Roland Garros. She defeated Aryna Sabalenka by 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 to win the title.

LeBron James' former teammate drops big praise for Lakers star

Some of the current NBA players were not even born when LeBron James started playing in the NBA. James has been playing for a long time and has never lost his touch in the game, despite not being as athletic as he was in his prime.

The four-time NBA champion played 70 games this season at the age of 40 and averaged 24.4 points, his lowest in 21 years and lowest since his rookie season. His consistency and work ethic made it possible for him to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record in the 2022-23 season.

James' former teammate Ivica Zubac knows the difficulty of breaking the all-time scoring record.

"I thought that it was pretty hard to reach that record," Zubac said.

Additionally, Zubac showered praise on James' work ethic.

"And props to LeBron," Zubac added. "He’s been doing it at a high level for so long, and he’s doing something that no one ever really did at that age. It just shows how invested and how serious he is about his craft, how much he takes care of his body, and how much he sharpens his skills."

LeBron James and Ivica Zubac played one season together in 2018-19, James' first year with the Lakers. However, Zubac was traded to the LA Clippers in the same season.

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About the author

Nandjee Ranjan

Nandjee Ranjan is a journalist covering the NBA and WNBA at Sportskeeda whose passion for basketball dates back to his childhood when he enjoyed playing the sport in school.

Nandjee finds his heart divided between two NBA powerhouses: the LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. He idolizes LeBron James and his leadership, while he appreciates the Warriors' dynamic and team-oriented style of play.
Basketball, for Nandjee, isn't just a sport but a holistic approach to fitness and well-being. He's been drawn to team sports, finding fulfillment in the physical engagement basketball offers.

With years of following basketball, Nandjee contextualizes historical events and player performances. He believes in conducting thorough research before writing, only taking information from reliable sources. He doesn’t mind taking more time to write an articles, as long as it is 100% accurate for his readers’ benefit.

During his leisure hours, Nandjee finds relaxation by reading books.

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