Noah Lyles gets petty last laugh on NBA players after USA's elimination from FIBA World Cup

Emily Dozier

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Noah Lyles gets petty last laugh on NBA players after USA's elimination from FIBA World Cup image

Noah Lyles, world champion in track and field, world champion in pettiness.

The decorated American sprinter is again circulating social media for his "World champion of what?" meme after the United State lost to Germany 113-111 in the semifinals of the FIBA World Cup on Friday. While Lyles himself hasn't posted anything directly, his "likes" page on X, formerly Twitter, speaks for themselves.

He reposted then unposted the following, too.

Germany has four NBA players on its roster compared to the USA's 12.

Lyles can sit back and relax all he wants because the internet is having fun with this one.

MORE: Germany upsets USA to advance to FIBA World Cup final

Players hit back at Noah Lyles for "world champion" comment

In an interview following his 4x100m relay, in which he won the gold medal for the US, Lyles said that he hates seeing NBA Finals winners calling themselves world champions.

"World champion of what?"

He refers to international athletes like himself competing against a handful of other countries while the NBA is only played in the US and Canada. NBA players, commentators and even Drake were not happy, calling his statement "ignorant" due to the countless international players in the league.

MORE: NBA stars hit back at USA sprinter Noah Lyles' 'world champion' comments

A record 55 NBA players are on World Cup rosters with at least one player on 27 of 32 national teams. The latest MVPs have been non-American NBA stars like Nikola Jokic for Serbia, Giannis Antetokounmpo for Greece and Joel Embiid for Cameroon.

Noah Lyles world championship medals

Lyles is a six-time world champion. He took home three gold medals alone from this year's championship in the 100m, 200 and 4x100m relay. He has another 4x100m relay title from the 2019 championship and the 200m titles from the 2019 and 2022 championships.

USA results at FIBA World Cup

Here is a complete look at the USA's results in the FIBA World Cup.

Round Opponent Result
Group stage New Zealand W, 97-72
Group stage Greece W, 109-81
Group stage Jordan W, 110-62
Group stage Lithuania L, 110-104
Quarterfinals Italy W, 100-63
Semifinals Germany L, 113-111
Bronze-medal game Canada TBD

Emily Dozier

Emily Dozier Photo

Emily Dozier is a live events and lifestyle writer at The Sporting News, covering everything from sporting events and music festivals to broadway shows and stand-up comedy. Based out of New York, she graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. When not covering the SN tickets beat, Emily enjoys playing volleyball and cooking. Prior to joining The Sporting News in 2023, Emily covered the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup for the Associated Press.