NBA Players React to Noah Lyles’ Criticism of “World Champs” Title

Recently, Noah Lyles, an American track and field sprinter, sparked a heated debate by criticizing the NBA’s use of the term “world champions” for its championship-winning teams. During a post-race press conference, Lyles expressed his frustration, saying, “The thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA finals and they have ‘world champion’ on their head. World champion of what? The United States? Don’t get me wrong, I love the US at times, but that ain’t the world.”

Lyles argued that the NBA only represents the United States and does not encompass the global competition seen in events like the Olympics, where athletes from various countries compete. “We have almost every country out here fighting, thriving, putting on their flag to show that they are represented. There ain’t no flags in the NBA,” he emphasized.

Unsurprisingly, Lyles’ comments did not sit well with many NBA players, who quickly took to social media to express their disapproval.

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Kevin Durant was among the first to respond, tweeting, “Somebody help this brother.” His sentiment was echoed by Devin Booker, who simply used a face palm emoji to convey his disbelief.

Damien Lillard responded more bluntly with “TF,” while Aaron Gordon took it a step further by challenging Lyles to a race, saying, “Whatever. I’m smoking buddy in the 200 meter.”

Tyrus Jones and Juan Toscano-Anderson also weighed in, with Jones commenting, “Yeah, this ain’t it,” and Toscano-Anderson defending the NBA by stating, “Last time I checked, the NBA was the best competition in the world.”

Udonis Haslem showed his disappointment by saying, “Big fan, but gone with that bro,” and Draymond Green humorously remarked, “When being smart goes wrong.” Kendrick Perkins added to the mockery with, “Put his brain in a bird and the bird will start flying backwards.”

PJ Tucker and Austin Rivers also expressed their disbelief with face palm emojis, while Rivers elaborated, “Simply put, the best players in the world play in the league, so winning an NBA Championship qualifies as World Champs. I don’t know what’s more cringe, his comment or his voice and delivery.”

Tyler Herro and De’Aaron Fox defended the NBA, emphasizing its status as the premier basketball league globally. Herro stated, “The NBA is the best league in the world, that’s why the Champs are World Champs,” while Fox found humor in Lyles’ passionate critique, saying, “Why bro cares so much? I found it funny that he uses the term ‘what hurts me most.’ It’s just funny, not that serious, big dog.”

Denzel Valentine chimed in with a light-hearted take, suggesting that Lyles might be seeking attention, “Boy wants some clout, huh? Jealousy is a MF. LOL.” He concluded by siding with the NBA players, a sentiment shared by many fans in the comment sections of social media posts.

The strong reactions from NBA players underscore their pride in the league and its global reputation. Despite Lyles’ critique, the consensus among the players is clear: the NBA, featuring the world’s top basketball talent, rightfully claims its champions as “world champions.”