Devin Booker says winning NBA Finals is ‘probably’ harder than winning Gold in Olympics

Devin Booker says winning NBA Finals is ‘probably’ harder than winning Gold in Olympics

Last August, six-time World Champion and now-Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles sparked a huge debate across sports for what it means to be a world champion. He specifically referenced the NBA and its players for dubbing themselves “world champions” when they win the NBA Finals each year.

“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,” Lyles said. “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. That is not the world. We 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.”

Plenty of NBA players didn’t take kindly to Lyles’ arbitrary stray; others, like Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, agreed with Lyles, but were in the minority.

Lyles took home the gold in the 100m by fifth one-hundredths of a second on Sunday. Devin Booker, in search for his second straight Gold with Team USA, continued to express his disagreement with Lyles’ comment when talking about Lyles’ remarkable finish with The Athletic Monday.

“I still don’t agree with the comment,” Booker said, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. “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.”

Booker made it to the NBA Finals against Antetokounmpo in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, falling short in six games.

For a player like Booker–who’s forced to play a role on Team USA’s 12-man roster, where it’s by far the most talented group in the field–he’s right. USA has won four straight gold medals and is the heavy favorite to clinch their fifth. Never say never, especially when international basketball globally has gradually improved.

Conversely, a player like New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, who’s suiting up for a Puerto Rico country that clinched the Olympics for the first time since 2004, it’s not as easy to say that. There are multiple factors you have to contextualize.

Lyles isn’t technically wrong, but Booker’s also right to say that all the best talent is in the NBA with three of arguably the best five players in the world (Nikola Jokic, Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic) all coming from Europe. The league features 125 international players representing 40 different countries … and it’s only continuing to grow worldwide.

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