Noah Lyles has also stirred up controversy in the NBA world, with comments he made before the Olympics that went viral on the internet.
During a interview with TIME's Sean Gregory In June, Lyles took a jab at Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards. Lyles has made it clear that he wants a signature sneaker with his clothing sponsor, Adidas, and was upset when the brand invited him to an event to promote Anthony Edwards' new shoe.
“'What do you want to do?' Lyles asked. 'You want to invite me to a party for a guy who hasn't even made it to the NBA Finals yet? In a game you don't care about? And you give him a shoe? No disrespect—he's an amazing athlete, having a great year. I appreciate that Adidas has recognized his potential. But I wonder, how did they miss me?'”
Among those to react was Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who joked that when he saw the quote, he thought it came from the fake Twitter account “NBA Centel”, instead of the real “NBA Central” page.
Damn I thought this was Centel
— Jalen Brunson (@jalenbrunson1) August 11, 2024
This isn't the first time Lyles has rubbed the NBA community the wrong way. Last August, he sparked controversy by arguing against the idea that the NBA champions should be called “world champions,” since the league primarily consists of teams from the United States, with the Toronto Raptors being the only exception.
“You know the thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have 'world champions' in their heads,” said Lyles last year. “What is the world champion? The United States? Don't get me wrong, I love the US sometimes, but that's not the world. “
His words caused a massive backlash from NBA players across the league.
Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Damian Lillard were among the superstar players who applauded Lyles.
Throughout his speech, the track star supported it in Paris this year when he won gold in the men's 100m race. Lyles also won bronze in the 200m despite battling Covid.
READ MORE: Noah Lyles Responds to 'Champion of the World'
Source link
