Noah Lyles has recently clarified his position on what it means to be a ‘World Champion,’ especially in light of ongoing debates involving the NBA and the Olympics.
Lyles, a three-time 200m world champion, addressed his views on global championship titles after his earlier remarks about NBA titleholders and his performance at the Paris Olympics.
During the US Open women’s final, where Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula competed, Lyles used the opportunity to explain his stance on international competition.
The discussion was reignited as Lyles attended the US Open, a high-profile event watched by sports fans worldwide.
When asked about the global significance of the US Open winners, Lyles expressed strong support for the international nature of the tournament, stating, “These are World Champions. International players that play against the top in the world constantly, these are world champions.”
This statement contrasted sharply with Lyles’ previous criticism of the NBA Finals. He had challenged the use of the term ‘World Champions’ for a league that primarily features American teams. “You know 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 U.S. at times, but that ain’t the world…We are the world. We are the world. We have almost every country out here fighting, thriving, putting on their flag to show they are represented. There ain’t no flags in the NBA,” Lyles had said following his victory at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.
The backlash from these comments resurfaced when Lyles did not win the men’s 200m race at the Paris Olympics. This led to a public exchange with NFL’s Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who criticized Lyles’ position and questioned his athletic credibility.
Hill remarked, “Noah Lyles can’t say nothing after what just happened to him. You know what I’m saying? Then he want to come out and pretend like he’s sick. I feel like that’s like horseradish.
So, for him to do that and say that we’re not world champions of like our sport, like come on, bro, just speak on what you know about, you know what I’m saying? And that’s track. I would beat Lyles. No, I wouldn’t beat him by a lot, but I would beat Noah Lyles.”
This ongoing banter has intrigued fans, who are now eagerly speculating about a potential race between Lyles and Hill. Social media is abuzz with discussions and predictions about what could be a highly anticipated and unusual athletic showdown.
