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'Noah Lyles was right'! Internet mocks Team USA after they come 4th at Basketball World Championships

Noah Lyles comments gained traction following Team USA's FIBA World Cup semifinals loss to Germany

NEWYORK CITY, NEWYORK: American sprinter Noah Lyles' said in August that NBA championship winners should not call themselves "world champions".

Lyles comments gained more traction on Friday, September 8 following Team USA's unexpected 113-111 loss to Germany in the FIBA World Cup semifinals.

The remarks gained significant attention on social media, and NBA champions such as Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, both of whom secured titles with the Golden State Warriors, swiftly responded to Lyles' comments according to PEOPLE.

"Somebody better help this brother," Durant, 34, wrote in a comment on ESPN's post.

Green, 33, commented, "When being smart goes wrong," shortly after Durant.

Damianlillard wrote, "TF"

However, on the internet, there was also a wave of support for Noah, with some users on social media backing his statements.

An Instagram user wrote, "He is speaking the truth and it’s very clear that people are using emotion over logical reasoning. It doesn’t matter if the NBA has international players or if it is the best league in the world. What makes you a WORLD champion is if you have defeated and conquered other countries in a tournament of some sort, not if you win in a domestic league that happens to feature international players.

"In Europe, the winners of UEFA Champions league call themselves Champions of EUROPE, not the world because the tournament consists of only European clubs, even though the majority of European football club rosters is filled with international players. The only rightful world champions are winners of the World Cup and Olympic gold medalists. Come on guys we’re smarter than this!!"

Another user penned, "The people who disagree with this guy are people who only watch and only know American football and basketball. They still live in a bubble"

One user wrote, "He’s not wrong, they’re mad because the truth hurts"

One X user tweeted, "Noah Lyles was right all along, USA couldn’t even get a bronze medal"

Another user tweeted, "Now you get it? @KDTrey5 @Double0AG

@DevinBook

@Dame_Lillard

@Bam1of1

@Money23Green

Noah Lyles was absolutely RIGHT! NBA Champion isn’t the WC, Germany is! Fools."

Lyles questioned the validity of NBA players calling themselves world champions and highlighted the disparity between their claim and the global representation in the athletics championships.

He said, “World Champion of what? You know the thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA finals and they have world championships on their head, world championships of what? The United States? Don't get me wrong, I love the US at the time but that ain't the world, that is not the world, We are the world, we have almost every country out here fighting, thriving putting on their flag to show that they are represented. There ain't no flags in the NBA".