“The thing that hurts me the most is I have to watch the NBA Finals & they have ‘world champion’ on their head. World champion of what? The United States… I love the U.S…but that ain’t the world.” During the 2023 World Championships, Noah Lyles straight up took a jab at one of the biggest leagues in the world. And thus, attracted heat from NBA stars and legends! One of the big names to come after him was a Lakers legend and 2025 Basketball Hall of Famer. 10 months ago, Carmelo Anthony in his podcast said, “The reason why we call ourselves world champs over here is because of what I said earlier, this is our game. This is it, yeah. The world comes to us to get the game.“ That was quite the dig at Noah Lyles! A lot more was said, but now the plot seems to have taken an unexpected turn…
Sports Business Journal took to their LinkedIn account to post a video of Noah Lyle talking about the Lakers star on June 18. In the video, Lyles can be heard saying, “I had recently had a talk with Carmelo Anthony, and he’s been here since the first one. Well, it’s funny because we have the same attorney, and he told me about his wine company.” Carmelo Anthony co-founded VII(N) The Seventh Estate, a brand named after his jersey number. Well, doesn’t Noah’s comment look surprising? After all, Carmelo’s words a few months back weren’t what Noah would have appreciated!
The three-time Olympic champion went on to say, “If you want to shoot, shoot at the fact that y’all ain’t got no league for y’all own. Shoot at why they ain’t pouring money into that sport. Michael Johnson is doing it. Y’all don’t want to support Michael Johnson because of what?” Well, that was harsh, but what Noah said today had no hint of dig and rather just admiration!
Noah Lyles further mentioned, “Yeah, and I was like ‘what that’s so cool’ like here you are an athlete who has his own wine company, because so many people think you’re just there, but I’ve also played with the same concept. Why is it that I’m not finishing a race, popping a bottle of my own champagne into the crowd?” Popping champagne is a one in a million occur in track and field, while it is common for sports like F1, but even in basketball, it only happens after a big win, such as those in the finals of the championship. But what caught attention here is Noah appreciating a legend who was once critical of his comments.
While there seems to be no bad blood between Carmelo Anthony and Noah Lyles, the sprinter did not get away easily for his comment. Anthony wasn’t the only one to speak out against him, but still, Noah has maintained the same stance!
Noah Lyles’s take hasn’t changed even after criticism
Kevin Durant responded on Instagram with a pointed “Somebody help this brother,” while Devin Booker followed up with a face‑palm emoji. Draymond Green wasn’t far behind, writing “When being smart goes wrong” with a face‑palm reaction. Damian Lillard added a shrugging “Tf ” in X comments, while Bam Adebayo simply asked, “Lol is somebody going to tell him??”Others turned the exchange playful or defensive. Denver’s Aaron Gordon, fresh off his NBA Finals win, took it humorously, commenting, “Whatever… I’m smoking buddy in the 200 m,” challenging Lyles to a sprint. But such criticism hasn’t made Noah take a U-turn!
Just two weeks ago, Noah Lyles said, “So it hurts when an NBA champion comes out and they’re like, ‘We’re the world champions.” It’s like, “Wait, you only face teams that were organized in the U.S…Why are you a world champion?” According to him, a true world championship requires participation from top contenders across the globe, individuals or teams who have all agreed to meet on a single, unified stage. Though Noah Lyles also said they mean no disrespect and love the work that they do. What are your thoughts on the entire controversy? Do let us know in the comments down below!
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