Noah Lyles’ comments on the NBA still act as a fresh wound for several sports fans who criticize him for his words. Claiming that they couldn’t call themselves ‘world champions’ if they only competed with fellow Americans, the sprinter always stood his ground and remained unabashed about his opinions. However, he recently clarified some significant misunderstandings that had caused a stir among people.
In a conversation with Dan Patrick, the 27-year-old admitted that a fifteen-second clip of him making this statement was misconstrued. Basketball icons like Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards had already taken a few digs at him, according to the host, who wanted the sprinter to explain his stance.
Lyles cross-questioned Patrick and unfolded the reality of the viral moment that people took so out of context that it projected a whole new meaning.
It turns out that when he sat down for the infamous press conference, a reporter asked him about returning to his country as a world champion and still not being recognized.
“I said it hurts because the US has such a wide array of sports and great athletes and unfortunately…the ones that they’re giving it to are national champions… basketball was an example.”
He argued that competitions like the NBA produced champions within the country and not worldwide. Several other sports, apart from track and field, like tennis, gymnastics, and so on, didn’t receive the same honor even though their athletes would battle it out on a global stage.
The message he was trying to convey wasn’t that championships like the NBA were less credible. Lyles only wanted to draw more attention to athletes who competed with fellows worldwide and won various titles. This perspective also aligns with Lyles’ ongoing efforts to elevate track and field’s profile in the global sports landscape.
Lyles wants more coverage for track and field
The discussion has not been unfamiliar for the sprinter, who stresses the importance of bringing track and field to the spotlight. After the success of his Netflix documentary series Sprint, he noticed how fans worldwide boomed in numbers, wanting to see more of the featured sprinters.
However, in a recent interview, he pointed out how the sport lacked accessible coverage and broadcast, making it challenging for the average individual to follow.
Available on different platforms and services worldwide, he did not like that fans had to scour different platforms to get a glimpse of their favorite sprinter performing on the track. He also discussed this during a discussion about the upcoming Grand Slam Track meet organized by the legendary Michael Johnson.
While the competition is quite lucrative and presents a good opportunity for athletes, Lyles had a bone to pick with their broadcasting worldwide. The organizers haven’t declared a TV partner yet, and until that happened, the sprinter seemed skeptical of his participation.
