In August 2023, Noah Lyles became the first man since Usain Bolt to complete a triple at worlds with wins in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4x100-meter races at the world championships in Budapest, Hungary.
He had one grievance on his mind: NBA players using the title of "world champion" after winning the NBA Finals.
"You know what 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?" said Lyles, responding to a question after his 200-meter victory.
"Don't get me wrong. I love the U.S., at times, but that ain't the world. That is not the world. We are the world. 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 added.
At the 2024 Olympic games in Paris, his hot take continued to ring in the ears of NBA superstars.
"It was crazy," Team USA's Devin Booker said. "I mean, it was great for America. Congrats to him."
Booker has one gold medal from the 2020 Tokyo Games. In 2023, he and his Phoenix Suns teammate Kevin Durant, who has three Olympic gold medals and one world championship gold, were among the notable players to express their displeasure on social media.
Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and other NBA players respond to Noah Lyles' comments. pic.twitter.com/O1eApkNpFG
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 28, 2023
At the Paris Games, Lyles earned gold in the 100m and bronze in the 200m. The men's basketball team has won all four of their games by 15 points or more in Paris and is the favorite to win gold.