By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Last year, American star sprinter Noah Lyles criticized the fact that the teams that win the NBA championship are called “world champions” since the competition is domestic and not global.
Videos of Lyles emphatically wondering out loud: “World champion of what? The United States?” are still going viral.
Multiple NBA players openly expressed their disagreement with Lyles’ statements. Kevin Durant commented, “Somebody help this brother.” Aaron Gordon wrote, “Whatever… I’m smoking buddy in the 200m.” Damian Lillard posted “TF” along with some laugh emojis. Devin Booker kept it simple with just one facepalm emoji.
After attending the 100-meter Final in the 2024 Olympic Games and watching Lyles winning the race and the gold medal, Booker explained why he stands by his disagreement.
“I still don’t agree with the comment,” Booker said to the New York Times. “I feel like all the best talent in the world is in the NBA, and this is coming from an Olympic gold medalist (who believes) that being an NBA champion is probably harder to do.”
“It was crazy,” Booker also mentioned on the Final. Lyles beat Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in the photo-finish. “I mean, it was great for America. Congrats to him.”
USA players took advantage of the break between the Group Stage and the quarterfinals of the basketball tournament to go to Stade de France and watch Lyles race for the gold. Many of them, including Booker, are Olympic gold medalists themselves.
The action for USA Basketball resumed Tuesday with the quarterfinal game against Brazil.
Photo: FIBA Basketball