Noah Lyles and the American Sports Arrogance: The Rude World Champion

WWhat could this man be thinking? Noah Lyles wins three gold medals at the IAAF World Championships, a truly international sporting festival in Budapest, and believes the world doesn't just revolve around his dominant home country. “Somebody's gotta help his brother,” said Kevin Durant, the famous basketball player and player. “When things go wrong you're smart,” said Draymond Green, Durant's former Golden State Warriors teammate.

Lyles, an American world champion and recent 100-meter, 200-meter and 4×100-meter relay champion, mocked his compatriots' tradition of honoring champions in North American sports leagues as “world champions.” “World champion at what?” he asked, laughing. “The United States? Don’t get me wrong. I love the United States – at least partly. But that’s not the world.” Atrocious, Lyles! He's right. But this is disrespectful.

The NBA (basketball), as well as the NFL (soccer) and MLB (baseball), rely on the fact that the winner of the best league in the world in their particular sport also automatically has the best team in the world. Whoever wins here wins everywhere. At least in theory. So world champion. It makes sense, doesn't it? The Americans are right. But this is disrespectful.

The Basketball World Cup is being held in Japan and Indonesia these days. Lyles' arrogant comment was also an issue there. “Not exactly the smartest answer. Let that go,” said Therese Haliburton. The development player wants to win gold with the U.S. national team, but there are no biggest stars on the team. In the last World Cup four years ago, the United States finished seventh. But it's not that important. They become world champions on home soil every year anyway.