Noah Lyles: 100m World Champion Responds to Backlash From NBA Players

• World champion in the 100m and 200m Noah Lyles has fired back at NBA players and fans for calling him out
• Lyles angered the NBA community by saying NBA champions are not world champions
• Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Damian Lillard are some of the NBA stars who slammed Lyles

Noah Lyles has fired back at NBA players, fans and analysts who blasted him for saying NBA champions are not world champions.

The comments made him a talking point in major American sports talk shows, podcasts and spaces on X. Most people disagreed with him.

The argument has raged for years and is usually brought up after the NBA Finals is concluded in June. After the winner is decided in the seven-game series, social media and television are always awash with videos of players and fans saying they are world champions.

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After defending the 200m world title at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Lyles took some time to criticize NBA players and teams for referring to themselves as world champions. The video went viral, and NBA fans and players descended on the 26-year-old.

Top stars like Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Damian Lillard, and Devin Booker had a few words for Lyles.

Noah Lyles fires back at critics

Speaking in Zurich, Lyles said he is glad people are talking about it. He comfortably won the men's 200m at the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday night.

"To be honest I'm glad we're having a conversation. It's been underlined for so long, but nobody wanted to talk about it. Maybe there'll be opinions that change, or maybe there won't, but at least we're having the conversation. In my comments, you'll have people in the US vs. the world. Everybody in the world is very much on my side, and in the US, everybody is always leaning towards the opinion of the NBA," via Flo Track.

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Lyles' comments even got the attention of Canadian rapper Drake. Although there was outrage in the USA, especially in the basketball community, Lyles received plenty of support all over the world.

Sha'Carri defends Lyles

Sports Brief earlier reported on Richardson defending compatriot Noah Lyles, who blasted NBA teams and players for calling themselves world champions.

The men's 100m and 200m world champion called out the NBA over the weekend for calling themselves world champions, a comment that ruffled the feathers of the basketball community.

The sprinter took to social media to defend Lyles, who is yet to respond to the jibes from NBA stars.

"I’m standing with Noah on this one! The organization 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!"