Team USA was in attendance at the finals of the 100M sprint at the 2024 Paris Olympics and watched American sprinter Noah Lyles bring home the Gold medal. Devin Booker reacted to Lyles’ accomplishments and congratulated the sprinter who caused a stir in the NBA community last year with his comments.
“It was crazy. I mean, it was great for America. Congrats to him.”
Lyles went viral last year for criticizing the NBA for calling themselves world champions after winning a national league, prompting top NBA stars to mock Lyles for his arrogance while dismissing the status of NBA Champions as World Champions.
Booker was among the players who criticized Lyles for his comments and still maintains that he disagrees with what Lyles said, doubling down by saying becoming an NBA Champion is harder to do than winning an Olympic Gold.
“I still don’t agree with the comment. I feel like all the best talent in the world is in the NBA, and this is coming from an Olympic gold medalist (who believes) that being an NBA champion is probably harder to do… The statement was said. I think how it was said — you know, it was just out of context. I feel like it was something that was weighing on his heart for a long time. He’s gained a following since then. He held it down, though, so congrats to him.”
Winning an Olympic Gold for the USA as the men’s basketball team is not a tough task, but Lyles became the first male American sprinter to win the 100m race since Justin Gatlin in 2004.
What Booker said exclusively applied to American NBA players, where the tougher task is often just making it to the roster.
An Olympic Gold will largely always be considered a greater athletic accomplishment than winning the NBA title by the world. It might be the defining accomplishment of a basketball player’s career if they can win an Olympic Gold as a non-American, though Booker’s perspective is limited to his participation in basketball compared to the NBA.
Devin Booker Is A Solidified Starter For Team USA
Given how hard it was to make the Team USA squad for the Olympics, Booker has proven his value by starting every game the team has played in Paris 2024. Team USA head coach Steve Kerr explained why Booker is almost impossible to drop at this point.
“He’s probably the guy who’s been most adaptable to go from a different role in the NBA to a new one here. He’s such a big scorer in the league, but just like in Tokyo, he’s adapted to being an on-ball guy, and ball mover, the offense clicks when he’s out there and the defense is really good. That’s why he’s started every game and seems to be good with any combination.”
Booker’s versatility and ability to play off-ball is crucial on Team USA, with the Suns guard executing his role to perfection. He’s averaging 10.3 points and 4.3 assists on 52.4% from the field at the Olympics. He is hoping to come back to the USA with his second Olympic Gold.
For a player who’s still to win his first NBA Championship, it’s obvious why he’d think it’s easier to win Gold while on Team USA, a completely factual statement.
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