Basketball Stars Hit Back After US Sprinter Noah Lyles Pokes Fun at NBA
Noah Lyles, the fastest man in the world, has caused a stir by questioning why basketball players call themselves “world champions” after winning the NBA Finals.
Lyles, who won both the 100m and 200m world titles at the World Athletics Championships last week, said that the NBA is not a truly global competition because it only includes teams from the United States and Canada.
“World champion of what? The United States?” Lyles said. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the US, at times, but that ain’t the world.”
“We are the world,” he added, referring to athletes at the World Athletics Championships. “We have almost every country out here fighting, thriving, putting on their flag to show they are represented. There ain’t no flags in the NBA.”
Lyles’ comments sparked a reaction from some NBA stars, including Kevin Durant and Draymond Green. Durant wrote on Instagram, “Somebody help this brother.” Green wrote, “When being smart goes wrong.”
However, not everyone was critical of Lyles. Fellow US sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson defended Lyles, saying that the NBA does not compete against teams from other countries.
“I’m standing with Noah on this one,” Richardson posted on social media. “The organization [NBA] have players from different countries but do they compete against different countries? You have to go against the world in order to be a world champion.”
It remains to be seen whether Lyles’ comments will have any impact on the NBA’s use of the “world champions” nickname. However, the debate has certainly sparked a conversation about the meaning of “world champion” in sports.
