*Noah Lyles may have rubbed some people the wrong way with his view on world champions, but he has support on the topic coming from a fellow athlete.
During a recent “48 Minutes” podcast episode, Milwaukee Bucks player Giannis Antetokounmpo shared Lyle’s view of what a world champion should be. Lyles is currently under fire for a statement he issued that centered on his view that NBA players are not being world champions for simply winning the league finals.
In the days since airing his view, Lyles has encountered a severe backlash from those who don’t share his take on the issue. All those people, except for Antetokounmpo.
“I wanted to back him up so bad,” the empathetic 28-year-old Greek-born sports star said while speculating that arrogance within the NBA could be the cause of the backlash against Lyles.
Black Sports Online noted that Giannis drew a parallel to Lyles’ situation with soccer, stating that, “in the realm of soccer, a sport more extensive and popular worldwide than the NBA, the Champions League winners don’t lay claim to being ‘world champions.’ Instead, they compete in the UEFA Champions League, and when it comes to the FIFA World Cup, they face teams from all corners of the globe to earn the title of “world champs.”’
Giannis Antetokounmpo – Getty
Antetokounmpo further stated that while the NBA is undoubtedly the premier basketball league globally, it being centered in the US and Canada limits its reach in the world champion stage. To drive home his point, Giannis stressed that to truly be considered “world champions,” teams should have to prove their worthiness of the title against the entire world.”
“At the end of the day, for you to be a world champ, you have to beat the world,” Antetokounmpo
stated.
Giannis’ co-signing of Lyles comes as the sprinter has no plans to retract his statement. BSO Entertainment notes the world champion issue, via Lyles shining a light on it with his statement, has been more noticeable, with it triggering more discussion among sports fans, players, and pundits about whether it’s appropriate to label NBA champions as “world champions” and the use of the term within the NBA.
So how do you feel about the “world champions” label in the NBA? Do Giannis and Lyles have a point with their definition of a world champion?
Sound off below with your comments.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB: NBA Stars Hit Back After US Sprinter Noah Lyles Annoys Them with the TRUTH | Watch
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