USA’s Noah Lyles celebrates his three gold medals as he anchors the USA team to victory in the men’s 4x100m relay final during the World Athletics Championships at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest on August 26, 2023. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP) (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)

If Noah Lyles wasn’t already known to the average fan, he is surely making it clear after his recent comments about the NBA.

Lyles took home three gold medals at the World Championships in Budapest and had some choice words about NBA Finals winners on Friday night. After the 200 win, he took a shot at NBA champions.

“I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have a world champion on their head. World champion of what?” Lyles said. “The United States? 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 they are represented. There ain’t no flags in the NBA. We gotta do more. We gotta be presented to the world.

In the Instagram comment section of an ESPN post about Lyles’ quote, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and many other NBA players let the whole world know how they feel about Lyles’ take.

Durant stated “Somebody help this brother” while Aaron Gordon challenged him to a 200-meter race.

Regardless of what Lyles thinks, don’t expect the NBA to just stop calling its champions in that manner. Lyles’ viewpoint clearly is that the NBA is exclusive to North America, however, the league itself is international, with stars like Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić and 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama all hailing from outside of the U.S.

Not to mention the U.S. international basketball team that has a storied history, winning 16 gold medals at the Olympic Games, five at the FIBA World Cup, and seven at the FIBA AmeriCup.

As for Lyles, he also helped the Americans to a 4×100 relay win. It’s the first time the U.S. had swept the relays at the world championships since 2007.

All eyes will definitely be on Lyles as he sprints toward the Paris Olympics next year. If he pulls off his next feat, he will join the likes of Carl Lewis, Wilma Rudolph, and Jesse Owens as the Americans who have won all three sprints on the world stage.