If there is one thing about Noah Lyles, it's that he is going to speak his mind.
Lyles earned himself plenty of new fans at the 2024 Olympics. The Team USA sprint star won the gold medal in the 100m dash, and then followed that up taking bronze in the 200m despite battling COVID-19.
But Lyles also has increased his number of haters. He already was in hot water with the basketball community after his comments last year taking a shot at the "world champion" title given to the league winners. This summer, he may have angered a few more fans as well.
Lyles is one of a number of athletes signed to Adidas. The sports company and the track star inked an extension earlier this year that is reportedly the most lucrative deal for a track and field athlete since Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt's deal with Puma.
So is Anthony Edwards, the star guard for the Timberwolves, who also played for Team USA at the Olympics. In Paris, Edwards helped the Americans win another gold medal, earning his first Olympic medal in his promising career.
Before Lyles and Edwards each were winning golf for their country, the track star took a shot at the hooper due to their relationship with Adidas. Here is what Lyles said about Edwards.
MORE: Explaining Noah Lyles' NBA world champion controversy
What did Noah Lyles say about Anthony Edwards?
Before the Olympics, Time released a story about Lyles detailing his preparation for the competition in Paris. The 27-year-old won a bronze three years prior in Tokyo, but was aiming to solidify himself as the face of track and field around the globe.
Part of that process in becoming the marketing drive behind the sport was landing another deal with Adidas. Lyles and the company were in negotiations on a new contract extension last year. Adidas wanted to invite him to shoe event for Edwards.
Lyles wasn't interested, and proceeded to take a dig at the Minnesota star, while wondering why the company would give Edwards a shoe deal and not himself.
"You want to do what?" Lyle said. "You want to invite me to [an event for] a man who has not even been to an NBA Finals? In a sport that you don’t even care about? And you’re giving him a shoe? No disrespect — the man is an amazing athlete. He is having a heck of a year. I love that they saw the insight to give him a shoe, because they saw that he was going to be big.
"All I’m asking is, ‘How could you not see that for me?'"
It's true, Edwards hasn't been to the NBA Finals yet. The Timberwolves were three wins away from doing so in 2024 before losing to the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. However, Edwards is the driving force behind the team and very likely will be playing for a Larry O'Brien trophy sooner rather than later.
He is also now an Olympic gold medalist, although the same can be said about Lyles. In fact, after the sprinter finished first in the 100-meter, he immediately called out Adidas again, demanding for a sneaker deal.
"I want my own shoe," Lyles said. "I want my own trainer. I’m dead serious. I want a sneaker, ain’t no money in [track] spikes. There’s money in sneakers and even Michael Johnson didn’t have his own sneaker. I feel like for how many medals [track athletes] bring back, for all the notoriety [track athletes] get, the fact that that hasn’t happened yet is crazy to me."
A day after his quotes spread throughout social media, Lyles took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify what he said about Edwards.
"There is a rumor going around that I did not go to [Edwards'] shoe release because he didn't deserve it," Lyles wrote. "That is not the case he definitely deserves his shoes he is an amazing player. The problem was finding time based on my prior engagements."
There is a rumor going around that I did not go to @theantedwards_ shoe release because he didn’t deserve it. That is not the case he definitely deserves his shoes he is an amazing player. The problem was finding time based on my prior engagements.
— Noah Lyles, OLY (@LylesNoah) August 12, 2024
Congratulations on Becoming an…
Lyles went on to congratulate Edwards on winning Olympic gold as a member of Team USA.
Landing a shoe deal as a track athlete is no easy feat. While Bolt was able to land a deal with Puma, it's not often that runners land these kinds of deals — although Michael Johnson was actually one of those that did strike a shoe contract with Nike. Their sport just isn't nearly as popular as the NBA, or the other North American sports leagues.
Still, Lyles' brash trash talk and expressive personality is going to make his brand grow. Perhaps we will see both Lyles join Edwards as a member of Adidas' custom shoe club.
