2023-09-15 04:04:21
The debate has flared up once more over the statements made by sprinter Noah Lyles, in which he questioned the validity of calling winners in leagues like the NBA “world champions.”
“I have to watch the NBA finals and see how they are called world champions. World champion of what?… United States? Don’t misunderstand me. “I love the United States, at times, but we are not the world.”
Noah Lyles achieved a historic performance at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest 2023, as he achieved triple gold in speed events.
The athlete became champion in the 100m, 200m and the 4×100 relay, but his words did not stop there as he assured:
“Here we are the world. Almost all the countries are fighting among themselves, fighting to win, using their flags to show that they are being represented. In the NBA there are no flags. We must do more. We must represent the world.”
After this, Lyles was the subject of numerous criticisms from NBA players; but Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo gave his approval to those words, during the 48 Minutes podcast to which he was invited.
“I really wanted to support him. He received a lot of negative criticism for saying what is obvious to many, but some people don’t understand. Maybe there’s just arrogance in it.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo backs Noah Lyles in the debate over who can be called “World Champion” ???? ????
(via 48 Minutes Podcast) pic.twitter.com/Ie4HqxiKEw
— ESPN Deportes (@ESPNDeportes) September 14, 2023
The Greek basketball player continued: “How do I say this kindly. I believe that in no sport does anyone consider themselves ‘world champion’. For example in soccer, which is much bigger and more popular than the NBA. The winner of the Champions League is not considered a world champion; They say ‘UEFA Champions League Champions’. When you win the World Cup following facing the United States or the other countries on the planet, you can say that you are world champion.”
He also quoted Emanuel Ginobili, legend of the San Antonio Spurs:
“Manu Ginobili once said it… I don’t know if I should say it. I think that when Argentina won the World Cup in 2006 (although here Giannis was wrong and perhaps he was referring to the gold medal in Athens 2004), Manu said: ‘I am the world champion and you are the NBA champions. But I am the world champion because I beat Greece, the United States, I beat Spain, Brazil. I am the world champion.’ I agree, at the end of the day to be the world champion you have to beat the world,” he concluded.
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