Quincy Wilson, the 16-year-old track star who took the country by storm and made the Olympics this year, is meeting some of the professional athletes he has spent his life watching.
Wilson, born Jan. 8, 2008, posted pictures to X from the Opening Ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Olympics with men’s basketball players LeBron James, Steph Curry and Anthony Edwards. On Instagram, he shared more with Anthony Davis and tennis star Coco Gauff.
For context of how those NBA players have shaped Wilson’s NBA viewing experience: James has been in the league for longer than Wilson has been alive. LeBron debuted with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, more than four years before the birth of Wilson.
Curry played his first game for the Golden State Warriors in 2009, when Wilson was just under two years old. Davis debuted for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2012, when Wilson was four.
And Edwards, while still an up-and-coming superstar in the NBA, debuted in 2020 — when Wilson was 12.
Opening Ceremony’s! Youngest male on team USA!🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/SXTbarK14p
— Quincy “Q” Wilson (@QuincyWilson5) July 26, 2024
By comparison, Wilson is the youngest male athlete on Team USA.
To qualify for the Games, Wilson broke the U18 400-meter record twice with times of 44.84 and 44.59 in the preliminary round and semifinals, respectively. He finished sixth in the final round, failing to qualify for the individual race but enough to keep his name in the running for the 4×400 relay pool.
Now in Paris, Wilson is getting his first taste of the Games. Perhaps LeBron and Davis, who won gold with Team USA in 2008 (James) and 2012 (both), can give him some tips to ensure it isn’t his last.