Drake was quick to join several NBA players in their criticism of Noah Lyles for pointing out that a domestic championship is not tantamount to a world title, and he now the Olympian has the evidence to invalidate the shots fired at him.
On Sunday (September 10), the six-time world champion sat down with TMZ to discuss his recent wins on the international stage. During the chat, he also reflected on the statement that landed him in hot water now that Team USA has been kicked out of the FIBA World Cup.
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“I do think that the point was lost,” he said about his earlier comments, which he still stands by. “At the end of the day, it was talking about how I see what we do to our national championships — I just want the same thing for our world champions. And we’re a sport where we’re bringing in the most medals every year, and it’s like nobody even knows because they don’t pay attention.”
When it came to Drake, who has never played any sport at a professional level, Lyles seemed unbothered for the most part as he said: “Just go home, buddy. Go home.”
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This was particularly funny because even though the United States’ loss in the tournament proved the Olympian’s point, Drake’s native country of Canada was the team that gave USA the boot and sent them home without a medal.
Last month, Drake backed a list of NBA A-listers in blasting Lyles over his comments about winners of the NBA Finals assuming the title of world champions. He subsequently came under fire for bringing attention to how no other countries outside of the United States and Canada are represented in the North American league.
“You know what hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have ‘world champion’ on their head,” the 26-year-old track star said at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. “World champion of what? The United States? Don’t get me wrong, I love the US at times. But that ain’t the world … There ain’t no flags in the NBA.”
The 6 God, who is an ambassador of the Toronto Raptors, caught wind of the jarring comments soon after and sniped Lyles in defense of his NBA friends.
“He thought this speech was gonna be so hard in the mirror the night before… now the whole league doesn’t rate u,” Drake commented on an Akademiks repost of Lyles’ comments with a series of laughing emojis.
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Other NBA dignitaries voiced their disgust with Noah Lyles’ comments as well. “Somebody help this brother,” Kevin Durant wrote.
“Whatever… I’m smoking buddy in the 200m,” Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon replied, while superstar guards Devin Booker and Damian Lillard also couldn’t believe what they heard.
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“Lol is somebody going to tell him,” Heat center Bam Adebayo chimed in.
Meanwhile, Austin Rivers added: “Simply put. Best players in the world play in the league. So… winning a NBA championship qualifies as world champs. [I don’t know] what’s more cringe, his comment or his voice and delivery.”
