JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
What Did Noah Lyles Say About USA Basketball Team? Controversy Explained
Noah Lyles won the Olympic gold for 100m race but is in the limelight for a statement he made last year on the USA basketball.
Noah Lyles is among the more outspoken American athletes competing in the 2024 Olympics. The self-proclaimed fastest man in the world is backing his talk after he won the 100m title at the Olympics. However, just after his win, Lyles’s controversial statement about the NBA from the past is making headlines.
A little less than a year ago, Lyles said some things about the NBA that eventually rattled a lot of the superstars from the league. At the Paris Games, the 27-year-old has already won the 100m title and will compete in the 200-meter races as well as the 4x100-meter relay. Although Lyles' remarks have affected a few of his teammates at the Olympics, there is no sign that resentment is growing in Paris. However, Lyles was able to get under their skin in this one instance.
Lyles questioned the NBA's idea to refer to its champions as world champions during a press conference held in August 2023 following the World Championships in Budapest.
Lyles said, "You know the thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have 'world champion' on their head. World champion of what? The United States? Don't get me wrong, I love the U.S. at times, but that ain't the world...We are the world."
He continued by saying that international track and field competitions, such as the World Championships, feature athletes and teams from a wide range of nations.
The backlash from the NBA stars was led by none other than Kevin Durant, who has won two NBA Finals MVP awards in his storied career. Durant wrote on Instagram, “Somebody help this brother,” responding to an ESPN post.
Four-time NBA champion Draymond Green also got involved, writing on Instagram, “When being smart goes wrong” with the face-palm emoji. Denver Nuggets star Aaron Gordon, though, appeared to see the funny side, writing on Instagram: “Whatever … I’m smoking buddy in the 200m.”
Even though there are only US and Canadian teams in the NBA, most of the top players in the world compete there. Numerous prominent figures in the league are foreign-born, including Serbian-born Nikola Jokić, the two-time NBA MVP, and Greek-born Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Sha'Carri Richardson, a fellow US sprinter, and the 100-meter women's champion, added her voice to the discussion and supported Lyles.
“I’m standing with Noah on this one,” she posted on social media.
“The organization [NBA] has players from different countries but do they compete against different countries? You have to go against the world to be a world champion.” It's possible that Lyles and Richardson won't be sitting courtside at an NBA game very soon.
ALSO READ: Noah Lyles Scripts History; Wins Track and Field Gold for USA After 20 Years
You May Like This
Latest Articles
