Evan Fournier agrees with Noah Lyles that being the NBA champion is "just a title"


 Evan Fournier, a shooting guard for the New York Knicks, is Noah Lyles' friend, or "ami."

Lyles, an American track and field star, is the bane of the basketball world right now. He did this by saying that the NBA championship isn't as important as it seems in a remark about how American professional sports winners call themselves "world champions" after winning a league title.

"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, fresh off three gold medals and the World Track and Field Championships in Budapest this week, said. "World champion of what? The U.S.?"

"Don't get me wrong. I love the U.S. at times, but that isn'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 they are represented. There ain't no flags in the NBA."


Ironically, Lyles's comments come when many American basketball stars are playing at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Asia, which will end on Wednesday.

A group of NBA players, including All-Stars Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Damian Lillard, have gone to war with Lyles in words. This group and others have made fun of Lyles, but Fournier thinks he might be onto something. 

After France beat Lebanon 85–79 in Jakarta on Tuesday, ESPN asked Fournier about Lyles' statements. After joking about how the unnamed report was "trying to get a headline," Fournier agreed with the runner's idea.

"I think it's the point of view of a lot of Americans that when they win at home since it's the best championship in the world, you're the world champ," Fournier said. "I can understand that point of view, but I agree it should be NBA champ, personally."

"If you participate in the World or the Olympics and win, you have a right to call yourself (a) world champion ... The way I look at it is NBA champions, for sure. They're the best team, but it's just a title. It's not that big of a deal. It's just a title. But for (Lyles) to say that, I understand where he's coming from because he's an athlete and just won world titles."

Fournier could have had a better chance of winning a national or world championship, but unfortunately, he had to witness the Knicks' elimination from the playoffs in the second round at the hands of the Miami Heat while sitting on the bench. He had been removed from the starting lineup, and this experience made him believe that he won't be wearing a New York uniform in the 2023-2024 season.

Many people thought that Fournier's French team would do well at the World Cup, but losses to Canada and Latvia, one by a big margin and the other by a big surprise, quickly ended Les Bleus's chances. France went home early, but it wasn't Fournier's fault. With 21.7 points per game, he is currently seventh among all participants. 

France will now have to play two consolation games. The first one, against Iran, will be on Thursday.

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