Noah Lyles questioned the NBA 'world champions' label. Everyone had thoughts

When track and field star Noah Lyles questioned why people refer to NBA title winners as "world champions," everyone from Drake to Kevin Durant rushed to have their say. One analyst says it's a case study in American exceptionalism.

Who is he? Lyles is a 26-year-old track and field athlete from the United States.

Last week, he won multiple events at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary — including the 100- and 200-meter sprints.
He was the first man to take home both titles since Usain Bolt in 2015.
What's the big deal? There has been a lot of attention paid to Lyles since — but not for his wins.

At a post-meet press conference, Lyles was asked about how to grow or improve his sport, to which he replied:
You know the thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA finals and they have "world champion" on their head. World champion of what? The United States? Don't get me wrong. I love the U.S., at times, 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.

The comments generated plenty of takes from every corner of the internet. A number of basketball players took offense and made it known via Instagram comments, while other international sports fans thought Lyle had the right idea.