Usain Bolt (L) and Noah Lyles (R). PHOTO: Both from Getty

Usain Bolt credits Noah Lyles' dig at US NBA team as reason behind solid squad at Paris Olympics - "That's why they put on a strong team"

Modified Jul 26, 2024 01:17 GMT

Usain Bolt credited Noah Lyles’ statement as the reason behind the USA men’s basketball team forming a solid squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics. USA Basketball, the national governing body, announced a 12-member team for the quadrennial games, which includes prominent names such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday, and Anthony Davis.

The men’s basketball matches are scheduled to start on July 27 with the USA team placed in Group C alongside Serbia, Puerto Rico, and South Sudan during the preliminary rounds, taking place at Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille. Following the preliminaries, the teams that qualify for the next stage will then play the knockouts, including the quarters, semis, bronze-medal, and gold-medal matches, at the Accor Arena in Paris.

Over a month before the Paris Olympics, the 100m and 200m world record holder Usain Bolt attended a training session for the World XI ahead of the Soccer Aid 2024 game. A regular participant in Soccer Aid, Bolt also served as captain for the edition.

During the same training session, the Olympics team questioned the eight-time Olympic champion for his take on the USA men's basketball team's performance at the quadrennial games. Bolt expressed confidence in the team’s chances and believed that Lyles’ statement was the reason behind the team being so "strong" this time, adding:

"They came strong this year. I think after what Noah [Lyles] said, they were like 'Oh we're the World Champions' and he said, 'World Champions of what?' I think that's why they really put on a strong team because they're making sure they win this Olympics. So, I think they will win."

A look into Noah Lyles' dig at NBA players after World Championships victory

Noah Lyles at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images for World Athletics)

Following his wins at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Noah Lyles was asked by the media about how track and field could become more popular. To which, he responded:

"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? Don’t get me wrong. I love the U.S., at times but that ain’t the world."

He added:

"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' remarks received a lot of criticism from many basketball players, including Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and Aaron Gordon.