Noah Lyles is famous for two things. Fresh off solidifying his status as the world’s fastest man by winning the 100m Olympic gold in Paris 2024, he remains just as electric away from the lanes, stirring debates that ripple far beyond track and field. And then, the infamous comment questioning, “World champions of what? United States?” Why NBA champions call themselves “world champions” ignited a firestorm that year, putting him on a collision course with some of the biggest names in basketball. But now, just as that conversation finds its way back into the sports world, two of his fellow Olympians are stepping onto an unexpected stage—right in the heart of the NBA’s glitzy All-Star festivities.

The NBA announced Tuesday that Olympic gold medalist Masai Russell and Olympic silver medalist Shelby McEwen will take center stage in San Francisco on February 14 at 7:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. DyeStat on X announced, “The NBA announced Tuesday its line-ups for the 2025 RUFFLES All-Star Celebrity Game in San Francisco on Feb. 14, featuring Olympic 100m hurdles gold medalist Masai Russell and Olympic high jump silver medalist Shelby McEwen.” It’s a rare crossover moment, where track and field stars get to showcase their versatility on a different kind of court.

Masai Russell, who stunned the world by winning the 100-meter hurdles in Paris with a scorching 12.33 seconds, will suit up alongside celebrities, musicians, and former pros in a showcase of pure entertainment. McEwen, a two-time Olympian and a four-time national champion in the high jump will also lace up, bringing his elite athleticism to a game designed for highlight reels. He had a feeling this moment was coming. “I had a feeling I’ll get picked. It feels like it was all meant to be. I feel very excited,” McEwen said before his selection, a nod to his past experience as a basketball player (at Northwest Mississippi Community College) before fully committing to track and field.

For Russell and McEwen, the All-Star Celebrity Game isn’t just about rubbing shoulders with entertainers—it’s about proving that track and field athletes belong in the broader sports conversation. The roster they’ll be joining includes viral streamer Kai Cenat, actor Rome Flynn, country music star Mickey Guyton, and hip-hop artist AP Dhillon, among others. Russell will suit up for Team Bonds, while McEwen will be part of Team Rice, squaring off in a game that’s as much about fun as it is about competition. Much like how Lyles himself has pushed the limits of what it means to be a global athlete in today’s media landscape.

While their selection steals headlines in the lead-up to All-Star Weekend, Noah Lyles himself continues to fuel his own brand of competitive drama. He has reignited another long-separate rivalry—with a South Beach football star who also claimed to be the fastest man.

The Noah Lyles and ‘Cheetah’ beef is back

Noah Lyles, fresh off after barely winning the 60m with a time of 6.52 seconds, in the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, wasted no time in calling out the Miami Dolphins star WR Tyreek Hill. Noah Lyles just can’t resist poking the bear—or in this case, the Cheetah. After securing yet another victory on the track, the world champion sprinter made sure to send a message to Hill with a homemade sign that read: “Tyreek could never.” Naturally, Hill wasted no time firing back, hopping on X with a laughing emoji and a simple clapback: “Get a load of this guy.”

This isn’t their first round of friendly trash talk. Back in August, Kay Adams asked Hill about Lyles’ controversial stance that NBA champions shouldn’t call themselves “world champions.” Somehow, that conversation turned into Hill claiming he could dust Lyles in a race. Since then, the two have gone back and forth, throwing out challenges that never materialized.

Lyles, however, is ready to make it happen. Speaking to NBC Sports, he called Hill out directly: “When you’re ready to actually put some words down and you’re actually ready to race, see me. I’m right here. I ain’t going nowhere. Your football season’s over. You ain’t got no excuse now.”

Will Hill take the bait? Only time (and maybe a stopwatch) will tell!