World Athletics Championship gold medalist Noah Lyles insists not all criticism over NBA ‘world champ’ claims
Recently, the gold medallist from the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last week said he was offended when US sports league champions like those in the NBA declare themselves world champions
ZURICH: Newly-crowned sprint king Noah Lyles insisted Wednesday that he had received some support for his comments criticising NBA stars for declaring themselves “world champions” for winning the elite basketball league.
American NBA stars were quick to rip Lyles on social media after the treble gold medallist from the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last week said he was offended when US sports league champions like those in the NBA declare themselves “world champions” after capturing a national crown without facing global rivals.
“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,” Lyles said.
“World champion of what? The United States?”
The NBA fills rosters with top talent from around the world, and its one franchise outside US borders, the Toronto Raptors, took the NBA crown to Canada in 2019.
The past five NBA Most Valuable Player awards went to players born in other lands — Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2019 and 2020, Serbian centre Nikola Jokic of reigning NBA champion Denver in 2021 and 2022 and Joel Embiid of Cameroon this year.
NBA players would argue that they compete in the world’s best league and deserve the label of global best.
“Somebody help this brother,” wrote Phoenix’s Kevin Durant, a two-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Finals MVP in leading the criticism.
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