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Noah Lyles can’t help but to shade NBA players at every opportunity. In his latest showing of disrespect, he took aim at MVP Nikola Jokic.
The track star said he didn’t know who Jokic was in a recent interview with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, adding to his growing list of snubs regarding professional athletes in American sports.
Lyles went viral in the summer of 2023 for his take on the term “World Champions” as it refers to NBA title winners. Those remarks sparked an all-out war with pro basketball players, many of whom rehashed the spat after Team USA’s gold medal performance at the 2024 Paris Games.
“I have to watch the NBA Finals, and they have ‘World Champion’ on their heads,” the sprinter said. “World Champion of what? The United States?!… There ain’t no flags in the NBA.”
The beef continued at the Olympics after a rumor surfaced surrounding Lyles’ notable absence at Anthony Edwards’ Adidas shoe reveal. He attempted to do some damage control after the fact, though not many were buying!
After returning home from Paris, Noah Lyles then shaded NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill, claiming he didn’t know who he was when challenged to a head-to-head race.
The slight seemed to many as a deflection given Hill’s popularity as a football player in comparison to Lyles’ status as an Olympian.
He’s now taken a similar stance with Nikola Jokic.
Noah Lyles continues to disrespect NBA superstars.
It didn’t take long for the runner to turn the attention back to the NBA. In an interview on the Nightcap Show, Lyles made an interesting comment about the league’s reigning MVP.
@bleacherreport Noah Lyles didn’t know who Jokić was 👀 (via @Nightcap) #nba #basketball #nikolajokic #noahlyles #nuggets ♬ original sound – bleacherreport
“I’m gonna be honest,” he said when asked about the big man. “I don’t know who that is.”
Jokic is a six-time All-Star who’s been named the NBA’s top player in three of the last four years. Two seasons ago, he led the Denver Nuggets to their first championship.
We know Lyles watches the NBA Finals given his previous “World Champs” take. How could he not know?!
Jokic was also at the Paris Olympics where he helped Serbia land a bronze medal. In fact, he nearly led his country to a gold medal opportunity, coming up just short of an upset bid against the United States in the semifinals.
Is Noah Lyles truly oblivious, or is he purposely fanning the flames of beef with the NBA?