Serena Williams, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James at the 2012 London Olympics
An iconic photo of Serena Williams alongside Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and the rest of the USA men’s basketball team at a local McDonald’s during the 2012 London Olympics recently resurfaced online.
The former World No. 1 and 23-time Grand Slam Champion created history that year, winning her first-ever singles gold medal at the Olympics with a victory over Maria Sharapova in the summit clash. She defeated Jelena Jankovic, Urszula Radwanska, Vera Zvonareva, Caroline Wozniacki, and Victoria Azarenka en route to the final.
Williams also won the doubles gold alongside sister Venus Williams that year, successfully defending their title by defeating Czech Republic’s Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká in the final, 6–4, 6–4. It was their third Olympic doubles gold medal together (previously in 2000 and 2008).
Celebrating her double gold, Williams shared a photo alongside other American Olympians in London at the fast-food restaurant. Decorated basketball stars such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, and James Harden could be seen in the photograph as well.
Speaking of 2012 Olympics. This photo @serenawilliams, @kobebryant @KingJames @KDTrey5 all in their prime. Iconic. https://t.co/7EC94I5oqG pic.twitter.com/8PZy2LYq9i
— Ni (@BlackNmajestic1) January 28, 2024
The basketball team also won gold at the 2012 Olympics, beating Spain 107-100 in the final.
The iconic photo, shared by Williams at the time via the video-sharing app Mobli, resurfaced on social media now while some fans were reminiscing about her glory days before retirement. The 23-time Grand Slam champion hung up her racquet in 2022, playing her final tournament at the US Open.
Serena Williams only player in history to win a Career Golden Slam in singles and doubles
Serena Williams at the 2012 US Open – Getty Images
Serena Williams is the only player in history to have completed a Career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles competitions – winning all four Grand Slams and the Olympic gold.
Serena and her sister Venus Williams together won Roland Garros and the US Open in 1999 and then Wimbledon and the Sydney Olympics in 2000. They completed the Golden Slam at the Australian Open in 2001.
In singles, Williams completed the Career Grand Slam in 2003, with her first wins at the four Slams coming in: Australian Open (2003), French Open and Wimbledon (2002) and the US Open (1999). Then, by winning the Olympic gold in London in 2012, she achieved the Golden Slam.
