Team USA’s basketball admin tried to hit back at claims the men’s side are not world champions on social media and it has completely backfired.
The world’s fastest man Noah Lyles, who won 100m gold and 200m bronze despite having Covid in that event at the 2024 Olympics, seems to be living rent free in the heads of basketball players, fans and social media admins.
In 2023, after winning gold in the 100m at the World Championships, he took aim at the NBA, criticising it for declaring its winners as world champions.
“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,” he said.
“World champion of what? The United States? Don’t get me wrong, I love the US at times, but that ain’t the world…We are the world.”
He was referring to athletes from all over the world competing in athletics events whereas the NBA is contested just between American teams even though it features competitors from across the globe.
It sparked a huge controversy and a number of NBA players hit back at Lyles’ comments at the time.
Those comments seem to still be rankling with some.
After Team USA men’s basketball team beat host nation France 98-87 in the gold medal final on August 10, @usabasketball Tweeted a photo of the players with the caption: “Are we the World Champs now?”
The short answer is, simply, no.
Team USA are Olympic, not world, champions.
The world champions are Germany who won the FIBA Basketball World Cup last time out in 2023 with the next finals not taking place until 2027.
As pointed out in reader added context, “only federations decide world champions”.
And the post has been blasted by social media users in the comments.
One social media user said: “He [Noah Lyles} really got into your minds.”
Another pointed out Germany are still the world champions.
One fan who appears to be German Tweeted a picture of the German side with the world championship trophy from 2023.
Another asked “what’s your problem?”
One again pointed out Germany are world champions.
Another pointed out USA are Olympic champions.
How to join the indy100’s free WhatsApp channel
Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter
Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
