Kevin Durant, Devin Booker react to Noah Lyles taking issue with NBA 'world champions'
Kevin Durant responded. So did Devin Booker.
The two Phoenix Suns superstars took to social media in reaction to United States track superstar Noah Lyles taking issue with NBA saying “world champions” when a team wins an NBA championship.
“Somebody help this brother,” reacted Durant, the two-time NBA Finals MVP, on Instagram.
Booker responded with an emoji of a hand over the face. Blazers All-Star Damian Lillard and former Arizona star Aaron Gordon also took to Instagram in reaction as well. Durant, Booker and Lillard won Olympic gold for Team USA in 2021.
Gordon, who just won an NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets, wrote, “Whatever. … I’m smoking buddy in 200m.”
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Lyles had just won gold in the 200-meter dash in the World Championships in Hungary to complete the historic double-double of winning the 100-meter dash and 200 and be viewed as the fastest man in the world.
In the ensuing press conference, Lyles was initially talking about previous world champions before him and asking why they aren’t invited to come to watch the World Championships.
To further make his point, Lyles started talking about the NBA.
“You know the thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have ‘world champion’ on their head,” an engaging Lyles said. "World champion of what? The United States?”
With some in the area laughing in reaction, Lyles continued down this path without hesitation.
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“Don’t get me wrong,” Lyles said. “I love the US, at times, but that’s not 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 that they are represented. There aren’t any flags in the NBA. We’ve got to do more. We’ve got to be presented to the world.”
Some of the greatest athletes ever have competed in track and field like say Usain Bolt, but the sport gets minimal attention in comparison to pro team sports like the NBA.
The World Championships and Summer Olympics are the two times a spotlight is shined on track and field.
This was an opportunity for Lyles to make a point about his sport. He used the NBA to help do that, but that has led NBA players like Durant and Booker to react.
A world class track athlete probably wouldn’t fare well in the NBA while the fastest NBA player isn’t beating a gold medal winner in a 100-meter or 200-meter dash.
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Sorry Gordon, but Lyles would put him in his rearview mirror and leave him in the background. A race between those two would make great TV, though.
On the other hand, Gordon is dunking on Lyles without any worries.
However, the NBA is as international as it gets as several of its superstars are from outside of the United States like two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who led the Nuggets to the 2022-23 NBA championship.
Jokic is from Serbia. There's also two-time NBA MVP and NBA champion, Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid (Cameroon) and four-time All-NBA first team selection Luka Doncic (Slovenia).
The NBA views itself having the best players in world, hence calling the last team standing, “world champions.”
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Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns' Kevin Durant, Devin Booker react to Noah Lyles' NBA comments
