(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The NBA is undoubtedly the best basketball league in the world as it has some of the greatest talents to ever pick up a basketball.
Keeping that in mind, teams tend to call themselves “world champions” after winning the NBA championship.
United States track and field star Noah Lyles recently called out NBA players for that claim.
Evidently, Lyles was blasted by many in the league, including Damian Lillard.
Speaking of Lillard, he recently provided context for believing that winning the NBA championship is equivalent to being the world champions, via ClutchPoints on Twitter.
“If you take the best team in the NBA and just send them on a tour to play in the best leagues everywhere else, they getting smoked,” Dame said.
“The NBA champs is world champs… If you take the best team in the NBA and just send them on a tour to play in the best leagues everywhere else, they getting smoked… I don’t understand what the debate is.”
—Damian Lillard
(via @backonfigg / YT)pic.twitter.com/Jdls4Ep3YV
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 19, 2023
Lillard gave a simple answer to the debate as he believed if a team of the best NBA players were assembled, they’d win against any team in the world.
While the NBA is home to some of the greatest players in the world, outside talent has been slowly but surely taking a hold of the league.
For example, the last five NBA MVPs have been international players in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid.
Moreover, the Denver Nuggets, a team led by Jokic, won the 2023 NBA title.
Another blow was Team USA’s medal-less performance in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Sure, Team USA didn’t feature the best players from the NBA in the tournament, but it’s no excuse for finishing fourth.
With that being said, there’s an opportunity to see the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry don Team USA’s jersey at the 2024 Paris Olympics to reclaim the country’s lost honor.
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