After having to quit college gymnastics due to two serious medical issues, no one expected Sunisa Lee to return with full force, let alone make it to the Paris Olympics as a champion. But her resilience has shone brightly to such an extent that she has had medals raining at the Games.
After a successful run with her team at the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics, she went on to the individual rounds. Her strengths lay in uneven bars and balance beam, but she had also qualified for the all-around individual along with Simone Biles.
After securing bronze in the all-around individual category, Lee made history with her sixth Olympic medal on Sunday, August 4th. She stunned the arena with her performance on the uneven bars, earning another bronze medal.
After the event, a photo of the 21-year-old gymnast clapping up powder chalk in the air as a celebratory gesture has gone viral on the internet. This was a familiar sight to the NBA fans – particularly those knowledgeable about LeBron James’ pre-game ritual.
LeBron, who typically performs a chalk-toss ritual before his matches, has been captured in similar poses numerous times before. When the official Olympics page posted about Lee’s moment, they couldn’t resist indulging in some wordplay, referencing the similarity to the basketball player’s iconic gesture.
Sunisa LeeBron. pic.twitter.com/AKY29kdkQH
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 4, 2024
“Sunisa LeeBron.“
However, what came as a surprise was the NBA star’s response to the post on Lee. Sharing the screenshot on his Instagram account, he expressed his respect and admiration while having a good laugh.
“AYYYYYEEEEE @sunisalee
YOU’RE AWESOME!!! Congrats on everything!”
This wasn’t the first time fans witnessed a crossover between the NBA and gymnastics. Previously, several elite basketball players had raved about their love for Simone Biles and her work.
Like Lee, Simone Biles also drew respect from the NBA
It turns out that the elite basketball players do follow gymnastics up close, particularly having their eyes on Simone Biles’s achievements. Sometime before the Paris Olympics commenced, the USA Basketball team for the international games sat down to talk about why she became their favorite gymnast.
From LeBron James to Kevin Durant, everyone had their reasons for looking up to the 27-year-old athlete. LeBron simply declared that she was the best, and there was no further question on the subject.
His 9-year-old daughter also shared his sentiments according to his claims. Durant, on the other hand, firmly believed that Biles had set some serious standards for Olympians.
However, it was Bam Adebayo and Tyrese Haliburton who took the cake with their responses. Both seemed equally enthusiastic about wanting to watch Biles live on stage and expressed their desire to get pictures with her.
