Stephen A. apologizes to Noah Lyles Stephen A. Smith concedes he was a “bit harsh” toward Noah Lyles after the American sprinter said he doesn’t consider NBA winners to be world champions.
Stephen A. apologizes to Noah Lyles Stephen A. Smith concedes he was a “bit harsh” toward Noah Lyles after the American sprinter said he doesn’t consider NBA winners to be world champions.
i just dont understand why Noah was SO in his feelings lol. dude was visibly upset and said nonsensical shit like he saw Denver wearing World Champs hats even though they didn’t.
RipcityRobert
Just like the European Champions league…..they don’t even consider MLS!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣
PRsAndDR
I can’t believe a semantics argument is getting this much coverage. Might be one of the biggest non-stories I can think of to get this much run.
EjaySays
I mean, Noah got what he wanted. Any publicity is good publicity, like how many people would even know him if he didn’t say the things he said and riled people up? But it is pretty sad that his achievements aren’t enough to garner attention so he has to resort to randomly calling out the NBA after winning a World Championship.
whowasonCRACK2
This storyline is boring af. I hope the writers strike ends soon
HitboxOfASnail
holy shit how are we still talking about such a nothing story
theytook-r-jobs
Downvote this trolling garbage
laguirre003
My two cents in this is that by the end of the day, the NBA is a domestic league, so calling the NBA champions the “world champions” doesn’t make much sense for a domestic league.
However, the NBA champions might be the closest thing to “world champions” due to the gap between between the average NBA team and most foreign league teams. So while the NBA champions aren’t “world champions” I do think they have * a claim to be considered the best team in the world.
Edit- * forgot to add it at first
MantisToboggan1_
Americans are soft lil bitches. Nothing he said was wrong.
Prime example of american exceptionalism. Bring on the downvotes you pansies as it would be on point with your feelings getting hurt.
DEEZLE13
Gilbert Arenas already put this to bed
PM_20
CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE YOU”LL NEVER SING THAT!!
blacklite911
This is the dumbest topic of the summer.
WHO FUCKING CARES WHAT HE THINKS.
_Jetto_
I don’t think what he said was that bad I mean pop has been saying it since 07
Jprev40
The World Cup (for Soccer), World Championship and Olympics for Gymnasts and Track competitors are truly world wide competitions. The World Series for Baseball, for example is only US teams. That’s what he meant! I understand that US teams have players from other countries (baseball, basketball, and hockey for example) and tend to be the highest form of completion, but its not a world wide competition.
EvenParty
Technically speaking “NBA World Champions” would be correct as it is my understanding that no other league in the world uses NBA rules. NBA and FIBA basketball are two slightly different games. (Different sized court, different 3 point line, different quarter lengths, etc.) And because the basis for an international competition is to just have 2 or more countries represented, calling the NBA champs “International Champions of NBA Basketball” or simplifying it and saying “NBA World Champions” would be accurate.
TelfordClaret
America gotta be the only country that would debate such asinine statement. They arent technically world champions even if they claim to be the greatest basketball league, same way that Man City are currently not world champs
captaincumsock69
The best team in the world and the true world champion is the World Cup/Olympic team. However he just comes across as a hater.
hotpocketthrowaway
WHO CARES
clicquotdreamz
While the NBA is the best league in the world I do agree with Noah to a certain extent. Look at soccer, everyone knows the champions league is the best competition in the world but the winner still has to play in the club World Cup after to be world champion
TheMaskedDeuce
Why are the American players so riled up by the comment? It’s not like they are the best players in the NBA champions team. They should ask Jokic’s opinion.
nfjr
Lol at this thread full of snarky comments about Noah Lyles. The guy just won three gold medals at the WC. Maybe it’s irrelevant for y’all and being an NBA player is more prestigious to you. But comments like “jelousy” and downplaying his achievements are so pathetic. You can disagree with his take, but attacking him makes you all feel so insecure and defensive.
Jrpre33
Still won’t apologize to Lonzo though
NandoDeColonoscopy
We’re still supposed to pretend to care about this?!
mikeok1
The saddest part about all of this is that the attention he got for his *comments* is bigger (in the US) than for the fact that HE JUST WON 3 GOLD MEDALS AT THE WC’s including cementing himself as the fastest man in the world by winning the 100m/200m double. But sports media barely touches on it.
It’s an incredible accomplishment and should be a big deal among sports fans and Americans in general but for as big of a sporting nation we are and despite how good our athletes are, we don’t seem to give much of a damn about the best athletes in the world that compete in track & field.
SirKelvinTan
I mean – Noah technically wasn’t wrong
Forsaken-Director-34
That’s America for ya.. someone smart says something that actually makes total sense and all the mental midgets dogpile on him like HES the moron. It doesn’t matter how many foreign players are in the nba. Not one bit. No matter how you chop it up nba teams are a vast majority American. Beating 3-4 teams to win a chip doesn’t mean you’ve played through the rest of the world, or any representation of them, to call yourself world champ. That’s the kind of arrogance that has the rest of the world hating us…
Matt32490
He has his opinion and voiced it. Why is the NBA community so butthurt about it?
27 Comments
i just dont understand why Noah was SO in his feelings lol. dude was visibly upset and said nonsensical shit like he saw Denver wearing World Champs hats even though they didn’t.
Just like the European Champions league…..they don’t even consider MLS!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣
I can’t believe a semantics argument is getting this much coverage. Might be one of the biggest non-stories I can think of to get this much run.
I mean, Noah got what he wanted. Any publicity is good publicity, like how many people would even know him if he didn’t say the things he said and riled people up? But it is pretty sad that his achievements aren’t enough to garner attention so he has to resort to randomly calling out the NBA after winning a World Championship.
This storyline is boring af. I hope the writers strike ends soon
holy shit how are we still talking about such a nothing story
Downvote this trolling garbage
My two cents in this is that by the end of the day, the NBA is a domestic league, so calling the NBA champions the “world champions” doesn’t make much sense for a domestic league.
However, the NBA champions might be the closest thing to “world champions” due to the gap between between the average NBA team and most foreign league teams. So while the NBA champions aren’t “world champions” I do think they have * a claim to be considered the best team in the world.
Edit- * forgot to add it at first
Americans are soft lil bitches. Nothing he said was wrong.
Prime example of american exceptionalism. Bring on the downvotes you pansies as it would be on point with your feelings getting hurt.
Gilbert Arenas already put this to bed
CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE YOU”LL NEVER SING THAT!!
This is the dumbest topic of the summer.
WHO FUCKING CARES WHAT HE THINKS.
I don’t think what he said was that bad I mean pop has been saying it since 07
The World Cup (for Soccer), World Championship and Olympics for Gymnasts and Track competitors are truly world wide competitions. The World Series for Baseball, for example is only US teams. That’s what he meant! I understand that US teams have players from other countries (baseball, basketball, and hockey for example) and tend to be the highest form of completion, but its not a world wide competition.
Technically speaking “NBA World Champions” would be correct as it is my understanding that no other league in the world uses NBA rules. NBA and FIBA basketball are two slightly different games. (Different sized court, different 3 point line, different quarter lengths, etc.) And because the basis for an international competition is to just have 2 or more countries represented, calling the NBA champs “International Champions of NBA Basketball” or simplifying it and saying “NBA World Champions” would be accurate.
America gotta be the only country that would debate such asinine statement. They arent technically world champions even if they claim to be the greatest basketball league, same way that Man City are currently not world champs
The best team in the world and the true world champion is the World Cup/Olympic team. However he just comes across as a hater.
WHO CARES
While the NBA is the best league in the world I do agree with Noah to a certain extent. Look at soccer, everyone knows the champions league is the best competition in the world but the winner still has to play in the club World Cup after to be world champion
Why are the American players so riled up by the comment? It’s not like they are the best players in the NBA champions team. They should ask Jokic’s opinion.
Lol at this thread full of snarky comments about Noah Lyles. The guy just won three gold medals at the WC. Maybe it’s irrelevant for y’all and being an NBA player is more prestigious to you. But comments like “jelousy” and downplaying his achievements are so pathetic. You can disagree with his take, but attacking him makes you all feel so insecure and defensive.
Still won’t apologize to Lonzo though
We’re still supposed to pretend to care about this?!
The saddest part about all of this is that the attention he got for his *comments* is bigger (in the US) than for the fact that HE JUST WON 3 GOLD MEDALS AT THE WC’s including cementing himself as the fastest man in the world by winning the 100m/200m double. But sports media barely touches on it.
It’s an incredible accomplishment and should be a big deal among sports fans and Americans in general but for as big of a sporting nation we are and despite how good our athletes are, we don’t seem to give much of a damn about the best athletes in the world that compete in track & field.
I mean – Noah technically wasn’t wrong
That’s America for ya.. someone smart says something that actually makes total sense and all the mental midgets dogpile on him like HES the moron. It doesn’t matter how many foreign players are in the nba. Not one bit. No matter how you chop it up nba teams are a vast majority American. Beating 3-4 teams to win a chip doesn’t mean you’ve played through the rest of the world, or any representation of them, to call yourself world champ. That’s the kind of arrogance that has the rest of the world hating us…
He has his opinion and voiced it. Why is the NBA community so butthurt about it?