World Champion Noah Lyles Calls Out NBA Teams for Referring to Themselves as “World Champions”

• Noah Lyles convincingly won the men's 200m world title for the third straight time
• The American also won the men's 100m gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships
• After the 200m final, he called out the NBA for referring to themselves as world champions

Noah Lyles solidified his status as one of the greatest sprinters of all time after winning the men's 200m gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. It was his second gold in the competition.

After a magical night, he had a few words for NBA players. He blasted them for calling themselves "world champions," a controversial statement that might anger some NBA fans.

The outspoken 26-year-old was full of confidence before the event began. He predicted he would break the 100m world record (9.58) held by Usain Bolt - he fell short but took gold after clocking 9.83 seconds.

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He was dominant in the 200m final, beating the likes of Botswana's Letsile Tebogo and compatriot Erriyon Knighton. It is his third consecutive 200m world title, per World Athletics.

He clocked a world-leading time of 19.52 seconds, way off Bolt's world record of 19.19 seconds.

Lyles blasts NBA

After an NBA team wins a championship, they usually refer to themselves as world champions. The American sprinter is not okay with that. There's no doubt that the NBA is the best basketball league in the world, but a country that wins the FIBA Basketball World Cup are the world champions.

"You know the thing that hurts me the most? I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have 'world champion' on their head. World champion of WHAT? The United States?" via Jonathan Gault.

Lyles is right, though. NBA champions are not world champions; they are American champions. 29 of the 30 NBA teams are based in the USA, with the Toronto Raptors the only Canadian team.

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Athletics

Those remarks will probably rub some NBA fans the wrong way.

Women's 200m final

Sports Brief has also reported that Shericka Jackson successfully defended her 200m world title at the 2023 World Athletics Championships after beating Americans Gabby Thomas and 100m world champion Sha'Carri Richardson.

The Jamaican clocked 21.41 seconds, comfortably storming to victory after narrowly missing out on the gold medal in the 100m final on Monday, 21st August. It is the second fastest time ever run.

It was a dominant performance, and everyone held their collective breaths as she approached the finish line. She is now close to Florence Griffith-Joyner's 35-year-old world record. She is optimistic that the world record will fall.