Track star Noah Lyles mocked NBA players and the idea that they are ‘world champions’ in comments last year. It appears Team USA basketball hasn’t forgotten about them.
Lyles won the gold medal in the men’s 100-meter dash at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 200-meter event didn’t go quite as well for the sprinter. A case of COVID seemingly slowed him down a bit, but he still managed to win a bronze.
Meanwhile, the men’s basketball team was engaged in a tremendous comeback against Serbia in the Olympic semifinals on Thursday.
The American squad trailed their counterparts by 13 points heading into the final quarter but outscored them 32-15 in the final 10 minutes. They avoided an embarrassing defeat and surprise entry in the bronze medal game.
The official X account for Team USA posted what many observers believe was a clapback at Lyles.
“We don’t play for Bronze,” they wrote.
We don't play for Bronze.
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 8, 2024
🇺🇸 #USABMNT #Paris2024 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/2p7cOsJtx2
RELATED: Noah Lyles Medals During Summer Olympics Despite Dealing With COVID-19
Were They Taunting Noah Lyles?
It’s difficult to say whether or not Team USA was taking a shot at Noah Lyles for his past comments. If they were, that is some wildly unnecessary trolling.
I mean, if LeBron James had tested positive for COVID it’s likely he would have flopped during the pre-game warmups and have to be stretchered out of the stadium.
Lyles still won bronze.
That said, some fans did seem to think Team USA was throwing some shade in Lyles’ direction.
“This caption is nuts! Dissing a fellow American Olympian,” one fan wrote.
Another took umbrage with the comment saying, “Taking a shot at Noah Lyles is crazy when your team just got carried by the refs to a gold medal game. Insanity.”
“Shots @ Noah Lyles. Yikes,” added one more.
What He Actually Said
Noah Lyles initially drew the ire of NBA players when he argued that the league’s champions can’t really call themselves world title holders since they don’t actually compete against the world.
Like Lyles does. Or something.
“What hurts me the most is I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have ‘World Champion’ on their heads,” Lyles said. “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.”
“At times”? What does that mean?
Anyway, ESPN host Stephen A. Smith described Lyles as “flagrantly ignorant.”
Team USA wasn’t the only entity taking a shot at Lyles. The man who won the gold medal in the 200-meters – Letsile Tebogo – slammed his counterpart and said he couldn’t be the face of his sport because he doesn’t exhibit some very specific attributes.
“I think, for me, I can’t be the face of athletics because I’m not an arrogant or a loud person like Noah,” Tebogo said. “I believe Noah is the face of athletics.”
Ouch. He’s drawing fire from all sides.
Lyles says he is done competing in this year’s Olympics after his COVID diagnosis. Team USA will take on France in the gold medal game on Saturday.
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