Olympic athlete Noah Lyles raised questions about the NBA's "world champions" title during a press conference, sparking a debate among NBA players and fans, as he emphasized track and field's global nature, and he is also a world-class sprinter with three gold medals in the recent World Athletics Championships.

At the age of 26, Lyles raised doubts about the legitimacy of the NBA's claim as "world champions." He made these statements while speaking to the press following his triumphant attainment of three gold medals at the World Athletics Championships held in Budapest, Hungary.

His comments were prompted by a query about the potential methods for increasing the popularity of track and field.Lyles 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."

"Don’t get me wrong. I love the U.S., at times — but that ain’t the world," he continued. "That is not the world. We [track and field] 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."

Lyles questioned, "World champion of what? The United States?" during the address.

The remarks quickly spread across social media platforms, gaining viral attention. NBA champions such as Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, both of whom secured titles with the Golden State Warriors, promptly responded to Lyles' statements.

Prominent figures within the NBA who expressed disagreement with the statement encompass Damian Lillard, PJ Tucker, Bam Adebayo, and Aaron Gordon, the latter achieving his inaugural championship victory alongside the Denver Nuggets this past June.

Green, 33, commented, "When being smart goes wrong," shortly after Durant.

"Somebody better help this brother," Durant, 34.

Devin Booker, the standout player from the Phoenix Suns, offered a succinct response by using a face-palm emoji in the comments section, aligning with his fellow players.

Superstar rapper and avid NBA enthusiast, Drake, also entered the debate."He thought this speech was gonna be so hard in the mirror the night before… now the whole league doesn’t rate u," with a handful of laughing emojis.

The NBA has witnessed a substantial surge in popularity and achievements attributed to its international talents, as players such as Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic swiftly rose to become prominent figures within the league.

The majority of critics who disagreed with Lyles' statements contend that the NBA, by recruiting top players from around the globe to participate in the American league, essentially functions as a global league.

Lyles, hailing from Florida, boasts the world's fourth-fastest recorded time in the 200-meter dash, trailing only behind Jamaica's Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake. This week, Lyles achieved a remarkable feat by securing three gold medals at the World Athletics Championships, excelling in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and the 4 x 100-meter relay as a vital member of Team USA.