Maintaining Silence Over Noah Lyles’ Bitter NBA Rant, Magic Johnson Takes The High Road At World Athletic Championship

Team USA is dazzling at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. One of the biggest stars at the event has been sprinter Noah Lyles. The 26-year-old has established himself as an international champion with his recent win. And Magic Johnson is taking note. Interestingly, the track and field champion ridiculed the league after winning the 200m Gold. That, however, didn’t deter the athlete-turned-entrepreneur from showering praise on Lyles.

An active Twitter user, Johnson has proved he’s the positive kind of pro sports team owner. He’s congratulated athletes like Quincy Hall and Anne Hall as well as the relay team for their phenomenal efforts at the world championships.

Magic Johnson praises Noah Lyles

Noah Lyles is the latest track and field athlete from Team USA who has dominated the 2023 World Athletics Championship. The Florida native is returning from Budapest with a hat trick on his record. He won gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and the 400 meters men’s relay.

Magic Johnson has applauded every medalist in the championship on his official Twitter account. He didn’t waste any time congratulating Lyles, too. “The star of the 2023 Track and Field World Championships is Noah Lyles! He’s taking home three gold medals in the 100M, 200M and 4x100M races!” the 5x NBA champion tweeted.

This is a big deal for Lyles too. When he crossed the finish line at the relay, he audibly yelled, “Three!” and held three fingers up. With this win, Lyles has a total of six gold medals in his entire career. It makes him the top men’s athlete in the world and a certified “star” as Johnson said. While Johnson was congratulating him, Lyles had launched an attack on the NBA as a whole. But Johnson has remained silent on the matter.

Noah Lyles criticized the NBA

After winning the 200 meters, the world champion said, “I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have world champion on their head. World champion of what?” With a laugh, Lyles continued, “The United States? Don’t get me wrong. I love the US at times, but that ain’t the world. That is not the world.” 

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He further elevated the World Athletics Championships for its representatives from all over the world. “There ain’t no flags in the NBA.” The six-time gold medalist found many on social media who agreed with him. Magic Johnson hasn’t responded to the comments yet.

While he’s a 5x NBA champion, he never won the FIBA World Cup. However, Johnson won the gold medal as part of the 1992 US men’s Olympic basketball team aka the ‘Dream Team.’ So the comments don’t really apply to him. What is your take on Lyles’ opinion?

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