Author: Monojit Mandal
Prominent members of the American NBA community took to social media to express their displeasure with Noah Lyles, the reigning race champion, after his comments against the use of the phrase “world champions” in reference to NBA achievements. Lyles, who won the 100- and 200-meter crowns as well as a gold medal with the U.S. 4×100 relay team at the recent World Athletics Championships in Budapest, expressed his displeasure with the widespread practice of NBA teams labeling themselves “world champions” after winning an NBA championship. His reasoning stems from the reality that these teams don’t compete against a diverse group of foreign opponents.
“The aspect that really bothers me is watching the NBA finals with the teams sporting the title ‘world champion’ on their jerseys,” Lyles said freely. “But how exactly did they achieve world domination? What about the United States?” This statement reflects his belief that in order to be declared world champion, you have to beat opponents from all over the world.
“World champion of what? The United States?”
Track and Field star Noah Lyles on NBA champs calling themselves World Champs.
(via @eurosport) pic.twitter.com/do1WC2vdYb
– Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 27, 2023
Contrary to Lyles’ assertion, NBA players and fans say the league attracts some of the best players from around the world, earning it the title of “best in the world”. This view is supported by the diversity of the NBA, as seen by the involvement of athletes from various international backgrounds. In particular, the Toronto Raptors, the only club based outside the United States, won the NBA title in 2019.
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Some of the NBA’s most notable figures have spoken out on the subject. Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, two-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Finals MVP, shared his amusement on Twitter, writing: “Somebody help this brother”. The NBA has had a huge global effect, with players born outside the United States winning the previous five NBA Most Valuable Player awards. This includes Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece in 2019 and 2020, Serbian forward Nikola Jokic, who captained the reigning NBA champions Denver in 2021 and 2022, and Joel Embiid of Cameroon last year.
Similar discussions have arisen in other sports as a result of this issue. Major League Baseball has been criticized for referring to its championship series as the “World Series”, despite the absence of clubs from Asian or Latin American leagues. Similarly, due to its limited global reach, especially in American soccer, the NFL is sometimes seen as a world champion.