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USA Track Olympian Chari Hawkins Recalls Meeting LeBron James When He Was 17

Posted on July 29, 2024 - 9:11 am by

Chari Hawkins explained her history with LeBron James after they reunited at the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony.    

Team USA’s track athlete Chari Hawkins shared a TikTok about how she’s known LeBron James for a long time. She told the story of how she met LeBron James at a high school tournament in Las Vegas when he was 17 years old. She also noted how she shared the same picture with him when they were on their way to the opening ceremony, which LeBron couldn’t believe.

“Okay, so this is me when I was in middle school, and LeBron James was in high school. He was the number one recruit and we were in Las Vegas at the big-time tournament. I don’t know if you know about that tournament, my dad was a basketball coach, so that’s what we did.”



“I went up to him, he was on the phone. I was like ‘Excuse me, can I take a picture?’. He was so nice, he was literally like ‘Oh, of course! Just a second’. And then he took a picture with me, and he resumed his phone call. Literally 17 years old, so kind.”

“So when we took this picture, you better believe I had that other photo ready to go, and I was like ‘I have to show you something’. And I showed it to him, he took my phone out of my hands, and he was like ‘No way!’. He was so amazing.”

“Literally, he has been incredible since he was 17 years old, he’s still so incredible. I wasn’t expecting him to just be so kind about it but he was. It was really cool, it was just such a full circle moment from when I was really little, just a little kid who idolized him, and now we’re Olympic teammates. Just so special.”



This story is just a true testament to LeBron James’ longevity, as he took this picture with a young Hawkins when he was just about to enter the NBA, and now, he got the chance to take a picture with her, with both of them as Olympians for Team USA. James continues to defy expectations with his level of play at his age.

LeBron Continues To Dominate At 39 Years Old

LeBron James has shown that despite his age, he is still one of, if not the best players on Team USA. He had a sensational game in Team USA’s opener against Serbia, putting up 21 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1 steal. He played a key role in Team USA destroying Serbia.



Despite the win, LeBron is focused on getting better, as he spoke after the game, saying that he expects Team USA to improve even further after their 26-point win over Serbia. This mentality is what separates the good players from the great, as James continues to strive for greatness at all times.

James also isolated his teammate, Kevin Durant for praise, as KD led the team in scoring in his first game back. It is clear how much James appreciates his teammates, and how he wants to focus on helping the entire team so that they can secure a win.

James is aiming to win his third gold medal with Team USA at the Olympics. Winning gold would make James the second-most successful Team USA player of all time, tied with Carmelo Anthony for four medals (three gold, one bronze) and right behind Kevin Durant, who would have four gold medals. Another Olympic medal would only add to LeBron’s already incredible legacy in the sport.