Noah Lyles is a World Champion in track and field. He has won three titles in the same weekend in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash, and 4x100 meter relay. Although no men’s sprinter has done that since Usain Bolt, that is not what I’m writing about. After his victories he made a comment in a press conference that the NBA world apparently didn’t like. It doesn’t even matter anymore what he actually said because Kevin Durant tweeted about it, which prompted Stephen A. Smith on his ESPN television show First Take to bring his voice to the conversation. To be clear Kevin Durant is a professional athlete and an Olympic medalist, but so is Noah Lyles, and the truth is that neither of them are commentators.

First Take is a debate show. But the problem is there was nobody present with legitimate knowledge about track and field to debate. So here is a legitimate response to what Stephen A. Smith had to say. But it is important to contextualize the quote in question. After winning the 100, 200, and 4x100m relay at the IAAF World Championships, Noah Lyles said:

“The thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they got the words World Champions on their head… World champions of what? The United States?... I don’t see any flags in the NBA.”

Stephen A. Smith’s first point 

NBA players tweeted back at him, led by Kevin Durant who said “Somebody help this brother”. After which Stephen A. Smith decided to discuss it on First Take. The first thing he said after complimenting Noah was “that Noah Lyles came across as flagrantly ignorant.” That’s not actually an argument, that’s an attack on somebody’s character. Which kind of undoes the compliment. But either way he did try to explain it. He states that the NBA is a “global iconic brand” with players like Nikola Jokic dominating and that the best players from around the world join the NBA. He says nearly 1/3 of NBA players are international. And then said NBA players arguably compete more against international competition than Noah Lyles.

The truth is that the NBA is a pro sports league, and track and field doesn’t have a league with teams to add players to their roster. But it does have its own “leagues” for pro athletes to compete. They are called the Diamond League, and the Continental Tour. I’m not sure Stephen A. Smith is fully aware of what they are like, because ESPN doesn’t discuss it. The World Championship event is not the same thing as the Diamond League championship! For the record Noah Lyles has already won five Diamond League championships in the 100 and the 200. But winning the Worlds in three events is clearly the biggest accomplishment of his career to this point.

The NBA might be global, but so is track and field. Only 4 standard track events have American World Record holders right now! To be clear, there are about 20 standard events. Whichever way you look at it, track is way more global. Furthermore, the notion that NBA players compete against more international competition than Noah Lyles is ridiculous. If 1/3 of the NBA is international, what percentage of the competitors Noah races against, actually are. In his late July Diamond League race in Monaco, he won the 200 meter dash. That was a race with only 1 other American man. It was Kyree King who finished fourth. Simple math suggests that 6 out of 8 men is 75%. So in reality, even in a regular pro race Noah Lyles is competing against way more international competition. 

Stephen A. Smith’s second point

Molly Qerim tried to explain to Stephen A, that Noah said nothing about how global the NBA is, but rather suggested it is an American sports league. But Stephen said he disagrees anyway because the NBA having international athletes makes it global enough to crown itself a World Championship. He doubles down on the point that basketball leagues exist all over the world but international players come to the NBA because it is the best league, which thereby makes it global with players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic. 

Unfortunately this is not much of an argument, beyond what was already stated. The logic that international players come to the NBA makes it a World Championship is flawed, because American basketball players, including NBA guys go overseas all the time. Stephon Marbury won a bunch of Chinese basketball championships. Does that make him a World Champion? Beyond that, the NBA stands for the National Basketball Association. It is not the international association. They even use the colors red, white, and blue in their logo.

Stephen A. Smith’s final point

The final point is made when Stephen A. agrees that perhaps Noah Lyles is just ignorant of how global the NBA actually is, and that there is a difference between being a World Champion and an Olympic champion. It is hard to believe that Noah Lyles would not know that difference. The only thing that he has left to accomplish to be hands down the greatest sprinter in the post Usain Bolt era is to win double gold at the Olympics. He is already a World Champion, in every event that he runs. What is a shame, is that Stephen A. Smith knows the difference, because basketball has a World Championship event, run by FIBA. They are the basketball equivalent of the IAAF in track and field. That is not the same thing as the Olympic games for ether sport, or the NBA and the Diamond League. Team USA basketball has only won the FIBA World Cup 3 times since 1994, and they didn’t even get a medal at the last one in 2019, when Spain won the whole thing.

The bottom line

It is far from ideal to to debate a topic that you don’t know much about, especially if nobody else with knowledge, is invited to discuss it. It is uncertain whether or not Noah Lyles should have said what he said, but he is not lying. We have pro track leagues, and pro basketball leagues, neither of which are stand ins for the world championships in either sport. In fact, when you do win a World Championship, in the event with that name in the title, you earn the right to call yourself a world champion. Noah Lyles has done that 3 times in a row now.

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