More Sports ES Fancast Jul 15, 2024 | 9:30 PM EDT via Getty LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 11: Lauren Jackson #15 of Australia shoots against

Russia during their Basketball Game on Day 15 of the London 2012 Olympic Games

at the North Greenwich Arena on August 11, 2012 in London, England. NOTE TO

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by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) via Getty LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 11: Lauren Jackson #15 of Australia shoots against

Russia during their Basketball Game on Day 15 of the London 2012 Olympic Games

at the North Greenwich Arena on August 11, 2012 in London, England. NOTE TO

USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using

this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty

Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo

by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) Is Paul Byrne the unsung hero behind Lauren Jackson’s legendary basketball career? For the fifth time in her career of 27 years, Lauren Jackson will again represent her country in Paris. With Tess Madgen leading the Opals, the 7xWNBL champion will come back, becoming the only Opals player to feature in five Olympic Games. Jackson’s selection to the 2024 team marks an incredible return after over a decade. The last time she competed on the international stage was at the London Olympics in 2012, where she was the Australian Flag bearer. On the professional front, Lauren Jackson has accomplished huge milestones and has a well-established name for herself, but what about her story when it comes to the love of her life? Let’s explore. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Lauren Jackson is happily married to Paul Byrne. It’s been a decade since the couple tied the knot in 2014. Before getting married, Jackson and Byrne dated for some time. Byrne is a former basketball player and is currently working as a journalist. Just like his wife, he is well-known for his work, however, he prefers to keep away from the spotlight. For Jackson, it is a blessing in disguise to have a supportive partner, who has played an instrumental role in uplifting her toward her game by offering an understanding perspective when times got demanding. In 2016, Jackson announced her retirement as both Jackson and Byrne were cheerfully embracing the responsibilities that were coming their way. In February 2017, Jackson and Byrne welcomed their firstborn, Harry. “Having Harry was the best moment in my life, without a doubt. Looking back, I’ve been really fortunate to have done what I did in my career. But now I’m fortunate to be focusing on Harry and my kids,” Jackson expressed her thoughts of becoming a mother for the first time. The next year, their family of three grew to four when they welcomed their second child, Lenny in December 2018. In 2019, she was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame, then the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020, and finally the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. Now with the Olympics right around the corner, Jackson is going for the golden win with the Opals. But let’s explore her Olympic journey before that. As one of Australia’s finest female basketball players, Lauren Jackson guided the Australian women to three silver medals in four Olympic Games: Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), and Beijing 2008. Moreover, she carried the Australian flag during the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony and led the Opals to bronze. Her national team journey began in 1997 when she was selected to the Australian U20 team at the age of just 14 years. She competed for the Australian Junior Women’s Team in the World Championship in Brazil, where she guided them to silver medals. At the time, she averaged 14.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. In 1998, she played for the Australian Senior Women’s Team at the World Championship in Germany and won a bronze medal. She came off the bench and averaged 10.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. As a result, she became a key player in the team’s success.     A post shared by ESPN Aus / NZ (@espnausnz) She won her second silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics averaging 18 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. In that tournament, Jackson tallied 127 points, 67 rebounds, 23 blocks, and 12 steals. Hence, she led the team in points and total rebounds. She went for her third silver at the 2002 World Championship held in China, where she was named to the All-Star team. In the semi-finals against Team USA, she fouled Lisa Leslie three times within the opening six minutes. As a result, her team lost and she remained on the bench for the remainder of the game. Then came the 2004 Summer Olympics. There she averaged 22.9 points and 10 rebounds per game. Jackson led the team to the gold medal final and yet again they were to face Team USA as their opponent. Hence, they ended up winning another silver for Australia. In 2006, Jackson became her team’s captain and led them to the World Championship in Brazil and defeated Russia in the gold medal game. This was the first time Australia had won a gold medal ever. She continued her role as the team’s captain in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games where the team added a silver medal to their collection. Then, at the 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament for Women, Jackson averaged 20.3 points and 5 rebounds. However, her time at the 2012 Summer Olympics was hindered as she tore her adductor magnus muscle during the Australian training camp held in the Czech Republic. Moreover, she sustained a hamstring injury that prevented her from getting much play time during the Olympic Tournament. Hence, the team was able to get only a bronze medal in the play-off with Russia. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Two years later, she committed to play for the Opals at the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women, however, she had to give up on the tournament to undergo surgery and fix a torn labrum in September 2014. In 2016, she announced her retirement during the Opals training camp in Canberra, owing to her poor health conditions. However, 6 years later she decided to return at the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Sydney where she went ahead and clinched a bronze in the Opals victory over Canada. This year, she is again getting ready to compete for the fifth time at the 2024 Paris Olympics set to take place in the coming weeks. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent , Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video: EssentiallySports is a digital-first sports media house that surfaces the best stories on America’s favorite sports celebrities with a fan’s perspective to 30+ M average monthly readers. 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