Noah Lyles sparked controversy by criticizing NBA teams for calling themselves "world champions" after winning the NBA Finals. After his victories in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Lyles questioned the legitimacy of the NBA's claim to the world champion title, saying, "World champion of what? The United States? Don’t get me wrong, I love the US, at times, but that ain’t the world" and emphasizing that the NBA is a league of teams from the US and Canada, not a global competition with countries competing against each other
. He pointed out that in athletics, athletes compete representing nearly every country in the world, unlike the NBA, which lacks national flags and is limited geographically. Lyles' remarks were partly tongue-in-cheek but clearly challenged the notion that winning the NBA Finals equates to being world champions
. His statements drew mixed reactions: some NBA stars like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, and Aaron Gordon criticized or mocked his comments, while others, including Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, supported Lyles, agreeing that the NBA title should not be equated with a world championship in the traditional sense of international competition
. The debate also highlighted the distinction between being champions of the best professional league and being champions of a global tournament where countries compete, as seen in events like the FIBA World Cup, where Team USA's underperformance further fueled the discussion about what truly defines a "world champion"
