Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles ruffled some feathers with his comment on Serbian basketball player Nikola Jokic. Jokic, a three-time NBA MVP and one-time champion, is not only a superstar in Europe, he is a global icon. However, Lyles claimed he has no idea who Jokic is.
During an interview with Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson on Night Cap, Lyles said he is not familiar with Nikola Jokic. That led to former Golden State Warriors guard Gilbert Arenas providing his views on Lyles’ knowledge of basketball players via an Instagram comment:
“He’s gotten more recognition after he talked about NBA players.”
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
Arenas added that Lyles likely does not know a lot of basketball players considering he competes in a different sport:
“He doesn’t watch basketball just like most ppl dont watch track! No one knows u very well outside the sport!”
Noah Lyles made headlines last year when he questioned why NBA players were declared world champions when the league consists of only North American teams. That led to a backlash from several current and former players, including Carmelo Anthony and Draymond Green.
While Lyles is an international star and one of the elite athletes in his field, Arenas seems to suggest that the sprinter’s popularity is growing with every comment he makes on the NBA.
Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles open to racing NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill
It has been an eventful year for Noah Lyles. After securing a gold medal in the 100 meters and a bronze in the 200 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympics, his popularity has skyrocketed.
Lyles has been all over the news, and in a recent episode of the Nightcap Show, he made headlines after offering Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill an opportunity to race him:
“If he’s serious about it, not just talking on the internet … if you’re serious about it, you’ll see me on track.”
Hill is considered one of the fastest players in the NFL and has electric speed. The Dolphins star responded that he would be open to a 50 yard race. A date has yet to be set but it will be exciting to see if Hill follows through and accepts the challenge.
