If Noah Lyles did not have already got the eye of the NBA world, he does now.
The Paris Olympics 100m gold medalist not too long ago claimed to have by no means heard of Nikola Jokic, the consensus greatest basketball participant on the earth and reigning three-time NBA MVP.
“I am gonna be trustworthy, I do not know who that’s,” Lyles advised Shannon Sharpe on the “Night Cap” podcast when requested about non-American gamers leaving their mark on the NBA.
Sharpe posed the query whereas discussing whether or not NBA champions ought to be thought-about “world champions” or solely victors of the U.S.-based league. Lyles — who claimed NBA champions shouldn’t be referred to as world champions in 2023 — doubled down on his stance by suggesting that the winners of the Larry O’Brien Trophy are merely winners of a nationwide league.
“The issue that I had was you might be giving the title of a world champion to individuals who aren’t dealing with the world,” Lyles defined. “That is the place I drew the road and stated that is hurtful as a result of you have already got these, however you might be giving the title to individuals who aren’t doing that. Nothing mistaken with being a nationwide champion.”
Lyles additional claimed to have “zero clue what basketball is” and blended up the 73-9 Warriors with the 72-10 Bulls whereas speaking concerning the 2016 NBA Finals.
Nonetheless jaded?
Through the interview, Lyles got here throughout a tad bitter whereas speaking about how a lot NBA gamers are “celebrated” versus himself and different Olympians. Lyles revealed he didn’t obtain a hero’s homecoming upon coming back from a triumphant Paris Olympics.
“There was no bus ready. I had my mother and my pops, they usually had been able to take me house, and I used to be able to go to mattress,” Lyles stated of his return from Paris.
Lyles’ withering remarks on the NBA have been met with numerous blowback, with stars resembling Jalen Brunson and Devin Booker suggesting that the sprinter comes throughout as a clout chaser together with his feedback. Moreover, Carmelo Anthony not too long ago blasted Lyles for “shooting at the NBA” on account of his unhappiness with the game of track-and-field not being as profitable as basketball.
The sprinter’s beef with the NBA additional intensified when a current report claimed he refused to attend an Adidas occasion final yr meant to unveil Anthony Edwards’ new line. Lyles would subsequently refute the report by calling Edwards an “superb participant” deserving of a signature shoe.
Lyles has additionally discovered himself in a messy back-and-forth with the NFL’s Tyreek Hill, who challenged the sprinter to a race after claiming he’d beat the Olympian in a 100m meet.
