NBA Stars Rip Noah Lyles For Saying NBA Championship is NOT a "World" Championship | THE ODD COUPLE 

Hall of Fame coach, and five time champion Gregg Popovich on being called world champions. “It doesn’t make sense for an NBA team to call themselves world champions. I don’t remember anybody playing anybody outside our borders to get that tag.” Quoted in 2010:

Ain’t no flags in the nba lmfao. Noah killed me man. He just ripped the whole league apart 😂

Noah is 100% correct. I personally wouldn't have used my championship press conference to make that point as he did but i do agree with him. He opened a big door to the discussion.

As a non-United States citizen, I really do not understand how people can believe that a national league champion is a 'World Champion'. It's really simple!

Noah is right. World championships mean you play with your national team. Even if the NBA is the best league, it’s not a World Championship.

Real talk, what Noah said is facts. We do it for the NFL too. You can't be world champs competing only within your country. I've been saying that for a long time. If that was the case every other league champion in the world would also be world champs

Noah said what we all have been thinking about for years out loud 😂.

In the US, you dont know much about football (soccer as you call it), but it is the biggest game in the world. Even in football, they have the Champions League for clubs at the elite level, and the team who wins the Champions League are not called World Champions. Those who win the World Cup are called World Champions. So, Noah Lyles is totally correct in saying what he has said.

This issue really highlights American arrogance in the eyes of the rest of the world. Only in America do the masses believe a national competition can make you an international champion. Like seriously, WTF🤦🏿‍♂️

Notice how no international players said anything.

This is why when you in School, don't just play sports, also pay attention to the teach. So you can know the difference between national and world.

He's 100% correct it isn't even debatable. If Europe or South America or any country/continent has a inner country/continent sport that doesn't include other teams from across the world then it's not a "world" championship or title. It's an NBA title. When the NFL plays the Superbowl it isn't a world title. The key word is world 🌎. So what exactly are people arguing over and upset about?

Thank you both for being real journalist and having a real discussion about what was actually said!💯

They all acted dumb. None of them understand the definition of a WC, to be a WC you need to compete against the teams from around the world under unified rules. Chris is 100 on point.

Bravo Noah. Nobody can deny the form.

These two together are great. They actually have the courage to argue with each other, and still shake hands and move on. Too many shows have hosts who are afraid to disagree with each other, or make bold statements. Particularly on terrestrial, sports radio. The comment Chris made about Lyles beating these guys by 50 yards, was perfect. Chris is an NBA fan, but he’s willing to criticize the players when they’re wrong.

I can’t believe how many (American) NBA players seem to have difficulty understanding this very simple concept. An NBA ring doesn’t make you the champion of the world, regardless of how many foreign players are here. It makes you the champion of 30 North American based teams.

The NBA stopped using "world" to describe "the finals" in 1985.

The "TRUTHS" HURTING THE NBA. MLB. NFL. Etc. I TOTALLY AGREE AND SUPPORT NOAH LYLES 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯

Whether people want to believe it or not,Noah is spot on. The NBA championship is NOT a WORLD championship. How can it be when it's the USA against Toronto?? The same argument can be made for the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, and World Series (exact same as the NBA -- USA vs. Toronto).

Noah's not wrong

What doesn’t make these nba players get in there feelings💯😭

He said something the world already knows

Noah's right hands down! 😂😂🇯🇲🇯🇲🇺🇸🇺🇸

he ain't lying!

Noah is 200% correct

If these nba players are so smart why is it called the national basketball association and not international basketball association 😂

the fact that we have to explain things about it, either funny and sad at the same time

The NBA is a domestic event in one country....not a world NBA championship

NBA is literally National Basketball Association. The key word being *National*.

The folks that got offended by Noah’s Lyes statement need to go to the dictionary and see that he wasn’t wrong

The fact that they don’t agree with him proves his point 😂

Noah Lyles, is 100%! NBA players have no legit come back ! Noah Lyles is spitting facts! NBA players talking straight rubbish!

Finally, NBA journalists with brains

When Lyles said "I like the USA at times" I checked out. I heard all of his take though.

You know people that there is what you called "FIBA WORLD CUP". RIGHT? The winner of that competition is what called "WORLD CHAMPION".

Thanks to Noah lyles to teach these brothers🙏🏾

Those leagues don't compete against other countries, so he's right. The NFL, NBA , and others all use the word national to describe itself

I don’t need to see Denver or the Lakers vs a team from Japan in the middle of October just to prove Americans are the best basketball players in the word like this is ridiculous fr fam smh

Man USA's education system needs a revamp. I once met a high school student in USA that referred to Texas and Utah as countries.

What was funny was the uneducated responses from the NBA players. They brought up no arguments or valid points just dumb Twitter talk.

USAB feat KD and co at 2010 is World Champs USAB feat Kyrie and co at 2014 is World Champs Argentine soccer team in 2023 is World Champs Germany soccer team in 2014 is world Champs France soccer team in 2018 is World Champs Noah Lyles this year is World 100 meters champs meanwhile Manchester city this year is EPL Champs (National) & UEFA Champs (regional champs) Denver Nuggets this year is National basketball Association (national champs) Bayern Munchen is German's league champs (national's champ) ------------------------------- what make's you confuse about?

AG was being sarcastic😂😂😂😂

This beyond my comprehension hw can national basketball association turn into a world championship and Chris its about representation than being the best Lyle's is damn right

I was gonna be a bit annoyed in this but in the end they got to the point: nobody is saying NBA champions couldn't be best in the world but that saying NBA champions are world champions is saying USA (+Canada) is the world. Most of the best basketball players are playing in NBA (not all because not everyone wants or can move to USA for that) but they are playing for their teams not for their countries.

Noah Lyle is not wrong. It’s called national basketball association not international basketball association. Therefore the champion is national champ not international champ. Yes, it’s the best league but it’s only played in America. We do not have teams from other countries represented beside one team from Canada. But he was trying to say that the marketing of the athletics could improve and he big up the nba marketing.

Noah said facts ....and yes sometimes the truth hurt feelings

The same guys that are mad won’t even play in the Olympics anymore 😂

He didn’t lie

The NBA championship is not a World Championship, They are not playing against the World, (France, Germany Italy, Brazil, etc.) Even though they have best players from different countries. It is a National US Championship. Understand what Noah is saying. It makes sense what he is saying.

“World champions of what?”💀

Think y’all missing the point. The football World Cup is not the best of the best necessarily, but it’s nations vs nations and that diversity makes it a world tournament, not just putting together the best players from around the world.

THE NBA STANDS FOR THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION! HE IS RIGHT!

Thank you for making sense! What are people not understanding about this? 😂😂

Lol 😆 Lyles that was savage.

Thank God!!! I was hoping someone would one day come out and say that obvious truth!!!!

I Hope they realize that Aaron Gordon was just joking

Lyles is correct. If DENVER NUGGETS are 'WORLD CHAMPIONS' then I am an astronaut on Mars. LMAO

Noah is 100% correct. dont matter the nba have the best players in the world their not World champions. World champions mean you play with your national team, the nba should remove World champions on their banner n change to nba champions

This idea for a world title to be played by all the champions of various pro basketball leagues around the world to crown the true world champion would be super fun to watch. 🔥 P.S. - These two have been a staple of my day for a real long time now. Preciate’ you Rob and Chris! 👊🏽

The level of play doesnt deternine the title. Yes its the best league obviously but its a national competition. The clue is in the name 😉

1. The crazy comment Noah made was "I like the US, sometimes" not the NBA thing...WEAR THAT FLAG PROUDLY WHEN U REPPIN IT. 2. The idea of the NBA developing a "world championship " is very good. you guys onto something. Maybe shorten the season, cancel that mid season BS, and add a world tourney after NBA chip. All pros go back to their country. 1 and done. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. WORLD CHAMPIONS🏆

Say, in the Bundesliga, we had Bayern München win the title and refer to themselves as world champion afterwards, they would be mocked mercilessly, by the whole country, for all eternity.

I dont think its complicated. NBA its not a world title; but its by far the most prestigious. Simple as that.

He was actually praising the marketing of The NBA though. A lot of people missed that. The point he was making is that he wants to see the same level of organisation and business mentality for track. Plus given that so many nations are gathering and repping their country at the World Champs, they have the perfect platform. That's the point he was really making.

You can be the best league by more than a mile, but a national title is just that a national title, no debate, no subjective take-- this is just simply objective.

He found away to look stupid.... meaningless point...why u mad 🤬😡 son??😂😂😂😂😂😂

People are really exposing their level of intelligence defending the champs of the 'National' Basketball Association. He is allowed to have his opinion. Those that hate cancel culture seem to be rooting for Noah to be cancelled.

We have the Olympics for a reason

The ego of the NBA player be like 💔💔💔😂

You are spot on, very right

Two things are true at the same time: 1. The NBA champion is not technically the “world” champion. 2. There is nobody who would argue with the fact that the best basketball players and the best basketball teams are in the US. The best Euro players are all in the NBA or aiming to be there the first chance they get.

Most international players (some are all-time great here though) but most couldn't play in the nba and 95% of the nba can b a star in any international league.

Udonis talking like he from the street is straight comedy

Finally honest opinions

I actually thought most Americans would be incensed by his comments. Great to see such a sensible debate. Most Americans just hurl insults when someone dares to say your domestic league does not determine a world champion. Just like winners of soccer leagues in Europe are not crowned world champions for winning their domestic league, even if they have all the best players in the world on the winning team. But I guess it's just a culture thing.

'NATIONAL' Basketball Association. Not WORLD. It's actually pretty simple.

He ain’t lying tho 😂

Real Madrid would bully the Denver Nuggets in a club world tournament

NBA is National Championship Association therefore the best team would be National Champs. Same as the Premier League champs being called World Champion

If NBA means the World, then I need to go back to my school and tell my teachers that I hate english....haha

Perhaps the tone in which he said those statements, is what caused the backlash. Realistically its like saying the UEFA Footbal title was changed to World Champions because those leagues are considered better than the rest. Same with the NBA... This league draws the best players due to level + money. But a World Champion title is a result of country-level teams battling it out against each other.. Like the FIBA World Championship

They can try to rip him but there are countless Americans who agree with Noah and chuckled at the irony of American arrogance in calling NBA players “world champs”. Come on now, outside of the Olympics, can they really say the play against teams around the globe? Hell naw. He ain’t lying - they play against themselves in the US not the world. The arrogance to think you created a sport - that isn’t played globally - and to call yourself world champs is just PEAK USA. 😢😂

This is such a silly discussion. Lyles just spoke facts, he didn't criticise the quality of the NBA or NBA athletes. It's just a weird querk that American culture likes to make things as grandiose as possible, from World Series to Ms Universe, it's all hyperbolic and I understand why an actual world champion would be annoyed by that.

We are confusing a few things together. National Teams and pro clubs are two completely different things. Other nations may be getting better internationally but there are no club teams around the world that could beat the NBA champion in a 7 game series. Some may be too young to remember but they used to do a thing called the McDonald's Championship where they had NBA teams go to Europe to play their champions in a tournament. Most of the time the NBA wouldn't even send the Finals winner, just a random NBA team and the NBA never lost in 10 years. More recently NBA teams will sometimes play an international team in pre-season and the NBA teams are 39 - 1 since 2017. I know it's pre-season but it's not competitive at all.

It's pretty simple: the Denver Nuggets are the NBA champs; they are not the world champs. You can have two kinds of team world champions: professional teams as they are currently constituted playing each other (perhaps each team entry is the champion of their respective league), or national teams as represented in the Olympics or as they do in baseball. That's it. And let's be clear the international competition is getting really good; just look how many international players are stars in the NBA.

This is why this show will stay in for awhile. All truth

Even the Spurs put NBA championships on their banners.

Nothings hurts more than the truth.

Totally True. The NBA Championships are actually becoming a Bad Joke.

Noah Lyle have an point, the problem it's seems like he was disrepecting the NBA Championship

I guess it doesn’t matter that NBA rosters are inclusive of players from all around the world. So I guess the major sports have to all change the name of their final rounds?

2:40 UD aggressive? That's new... 🤣

Its a tradition of Americans to call every domistic American league "WORLD CHAMPIONS"

I love the NBA but he's got a point..USA is not the whole world..yes it's the best ligue in the world but when you don't play with other's teams who's not from US that's not the world champions..but we all get it its been like that always

I don’t understand why he’s hurt by what happens in the NBA. You’re the 100M, 200M & 4x100 world champion , congratulations.

Everyone outside the U.S know and talks about this decades ago , this reflect the Bubble some people live in

Can't believe Americans are debating it. How can they not distinguish between a club and country. The hint is in the word "league" Every other sport in the world calls them world champion when their national team beats other national teams but Americans can't comprehend it.

Facts by Lyles 👍. Best league’s champ does not mean world champ.

Man I would love to see the best teams of basketball play a tournament to decide the true world champion.. I always thought about that