USA Basketball gets shady with Noah Lyles on social media after Olympic gold win
Aug 4, 2024; Paris Saint-Denis, France; Noah Lyles (USA) reacts after competing in a men’s 100m semifinal during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade de France. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports
Team USA Basketball had perhaps the most predictable post of the year after their gold medal victory.
The United States earned Olympic gold in men’s basketball with a 98-87 win over host nation France on Saturday. It marked the fifth consecutive gold in the competition for the U.S. as well as their 17th Olympic gold overall in men’s basketball.
After the final buzzer sounded, USA Basketball’s official account on X got shady with U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles. They posted a picture of their gold medal ceremony along with the caption, “Are we the World Champs now?”
Are we the World Champs now?
🇺🇸 #USABMNT pic.twitter.com/t4M9NeBkU6
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) August 10, 2024
That was an obvious reference to the comments Lyles made last year questioning why the phrase “world champions” was used to describe the winner of the NBA Finals. The controversial take from Lyles angered many notable NBA stars, including several who were on this year’s Olympic team.
Saturday’s gold medal game was yet another reminder that the very best basketball players in the world indeed play in the U.S. as part of the NBA. As for Lyles, he gets to go home with a gold medal from the Paris Games too, so both sides got their moment in the end.
