Noah Lyles once flexed on what sets him apart from LeBron James: "I'm the 3rd fastest man"
Noah Lyles let his winning do the talking for him as the polarizing Olympic athlete put all doubts to bed after winning gold in the Men's 100m at the Paris Olympics.
Lyles has been vocal about his confidence, as well as earning a bad rep among NBA players due to other public comments about NBA teams crowning themselves 'world champions.' In an interview on August 28 of last year at a post-meet press conference, Lyles stated:
"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. World champion of what? The United States?"
The statement drew some attention from NBA stars such as Damien Lillard and 2024 Olympian, Kevin Durant.
Among these public remarks was an interview answer that stirred some mixed reactions from NBA fans involving a question about LeBron James.
Lyles was asked, "Is the gap wider between the average Joe and [LeBron James] or the average Joe and you," to which the sprinter responded:
"Well I'm the third-fastest man ever to live, so, you're definitely getting closer to LeBron than me," Lyles answered.
The bold claim drew Lyles some criticism, given LeBron James is one of the greatest NBA players of all time, but Lyles' gold medal win is no easy feat itself.
LeBron James and Team USA can prove NBA deserves 'world champion' title
As the Olympics progress, Team USA continues to dominate Olympic play, advancing to 3-0 in group play and punching their ticket to the Men's tournament quarterfinal versus Brazil.
The United States has been led by consistently strong contributions from LeBron James, who is still dominating international play at 39 years old.
Through their three group phase matchups, LeBron James impressed with averages of 14.3 points, 7.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds, searching for his third gold medal.
LeBron James has been the story of the Olympics for Team USA, putting them over the top in close matchups despite being the oldest player on the talented roster.
Entering his 22nd NBA season, many entered the Olympics questioning how long LeBron James could continue his high level of play in the league before being stunned by his historic Olympic run in Paris.