American sprinter Noah Lyles won the 200-meter event at the World Athletics Championships in Hungary on Friday. However, it wasn't Lyles' performance on the track that made the most headlines.
Following his victory, Lyles weighed in on the state of American sports champions.
"I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have world champion on their heads," Lyles said. "World champion of what? The United States? Don't get me wrong. I love the U.S. at times. But that ain't the world.
"We are the world. We have almost every country out here fighting and thriving and putting on a flag to show that they are represented. There ain't no flags in the NBA."
Shortly after Lyles made his comments, the NBA community made sure to express their opinions.
"Somebody help this brother," Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant wrote on Instagram. In addition, Durant's teammate, Devin Booker, added a face palm emoji in reaction to Lyles' controversial comments.
NBA players react to Noah Lyles saying: "The thing that hurts me the most is I have to watch the NBA Finals & they have 'world champion' on their head. World champion of what? The United States. Don't get me wrong. I love the U.S. at times but that ain't the world." pic.twitter.com/HmlAPIEFG0
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 28, 2023
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon also stated that he wanted to challenge Lyles to a 200-meter race.
"Whatever… I'm smoking buddy in the 200m," Gordon wrote on social media.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo also added, "Lol is somebody going to tell him??"
Why bro care so much?" Sacramento Kings star De'Aaron Fox questioned on X. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green also weighed in by writing, "When being smart goes wrong."
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, who still wishes to be traded, kept his statement simple by commenting "Tf" in response to Lyles.
Lyles won three gold medals at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest this past weekend and won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The 26-year-old has yet to respond to all of the NBA players' comments regarding his initial interview.
