USA track and field athlete Noah Lyles received severe criticism from NBA players after the former took a dig at the NBA players for calling themselves world champions. The remarks came on Sunday after Lyle won the 200 m at the Budapest World Athletics Championship, making him the first player since Usain Bolt to win a double title.
The 26-year-old when asked about the same, Lyles was quick to point out that while he is the world champion for competing against players from different countries, the NBA is a league representing only Canada and the USA. Thus, he takes it with a pinch of salt when NBA players call them the world champions.
“The thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA finals, and they have ‘World champion’ on their heads. World champion of what? The United States?” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the US at times, but that ain’t the world.”
“World champion of what? The United States?”
Track and Field star Noah Lyles on NBA champs calling themselves World Champs.
(via @eurosport) pic.twitter.com/do1WC2vdYb
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 27, 2023
The dig which was intended as a tongue-in-cheek humor didn’t go down well with the NBA champions. While 2X NBA Champion Kevin Durant poked fun at Lyles and asked netizens to help the latter, 4x NBA Champion Daymond Green retorted how sometimes being over-smart can lead to trouble.
What did Tyrese Haliburton say about Noah Lyles?
Amid severe criticism, USA star Tyrese Haliburton on being asked his opinions on the incident during the 2023 FIBA World Cup divulged that Lyles’s remark wasn’t really thoughtful. The shooting point guard stated that the NBA is one of the best leagues in the world and hence, he would let Lyles’s remark pass away.
“I really don’t understand the point of it because NBA is the best league in the world,” Haliburton told the media after the game.“It wasn’t the most intelligent response. We’re going to let that fly,” he smiled.
“I really don’t understand the point of it because the NBA is the best league in the world. It wasn’t the most intelligent response.”
Tyrese Haliburton weighs in on Noah Lyles’ “World Champion” comments 🗣️
(via @ZakkasGeorge)pic.twitter.com/fLV6I3gXpV
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 30, 2023
For the unversed, NBA not only features stars from USA but also from other countries such as Greece´s Giannis Antetokounmpo who won NBA MVP in 2019 and 2020, Serbian center Nikola Jokic who clinched the coveted title in 2021 and 2022 and Joel Embiid of Cameroon.
The Indiana Pacers star is currently plying his trade for the National Team at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and was surrounded by his teammates during the interview chat.
Meanwhile, after receiving flak from the NBA greats, Lyles was quick to clarify that his remarks when meant to draw attention to his achievement rather than denigrate any team sports. Lyles, further, urged sportsmen from all the sports to stand together and display a feeling of solidarity. Lyles also expressed his admiration for sportsmen from different sports and apologized for his remarks.
