Noah Lyles stirs controversy with dismissive remarks about NBA star Nikola Jokic, escalating tensions between athletics and basketball communities.
Triple world champion Noah Lyles has once again stirred controversy within the sporting world with his recent comments about NBA star Nikola Jokic.
The 27-year-old, known for his fiery opinions and no-filter approach, has been a vocal critic of how sports leagues in the United States, particularly the NBA, handle their titles and accolades.
Lyles’s latest remarks came during an appearance on the popular Nightcap podcast, hosted by Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, where he was asked about some of the most renowned athletes in basketball today.
When probed specifically about Denver Nuggets’ standout Nikola Jokic, Lyles’s response was as blunt as it was shocking.
“I’m gonna be honest, I don’t know who that is,” Lyles replied.
His comments have since ignited a fiery debate across social media platforms, with many NBA fans expressing their dismay and frustration at his disregard for one of the sport’s current greats.
The backdrop to Lyles’s controversial stance is rooted in his critique of the NBA’s tradition of dubbing its league winner as the “world champion.”
This practice, according to Lyles, is misleading and diminishes the achievements of athletes competing in global sports disciplines.
“The problem that I had was you are giving the title of a world champion to people who aren’t facing the world. That’s where I drew the line and said that’s hurtful because you already have those, but you are giving the title to people who aren’t doing that,” Lyles explained in a past interview.
He stressed the distinction between being a national and a world champion, arguing that true global competition is not adequately represented in league setups like the NBA.
His initial comments on the matter arose after a dominant performance at the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, where his criticism first made headlines.
Since then, he has not shied away from reiterating his thoughts, which have occasionally led to verbal skirmishes with figures from other sports, including a notable exchange with NFL star Tyreek Hill.
