At 43 years and 79 days old, Opals icon Lauren Jackson became the oldest basketball player to play in the Olympics, period.
Despite taking the upset loss to Nigeria, Australian basketball legend Lauren Jackson made Olympic basketball history Monday (Philippine time).
At 43 years and 79 days old, Jackson became the oldest basketball player, men or women, to see action in the Olympics.
Jackson broke the record set by Spain’s Lala Palau in Tokyo 2020. She was 41 years old when she played Korea three years ago.
Against Nigeria, Jackson played almost 13 minutes and scored six points and grabbed two rebounds.
Paris 2024 is Jackson’s 5th Olympics. She made her Olympic debut at Sydney 2000 and played with the Opals through London 2012.
Jackson led the Opals to three-straight silver medals from Sydney to Beijing, before settling for a bronze in London.
A three-time WNBA MVP and two-time champion with the Seattle Storm, Jackson initially retired in 2016 following multiple injuries. She came back in 2022, and returned to the Opals for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup that
year.
Jackson holds the Olympic women’s record for points, field goals made, rebounds, and blocks.
Brazil’s Marcelinho Huerta’s holds the record for oldest male basketball player to play in the Olympics at 41 years old.