The all-NBA squad USA is headed to the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup following its 85-73 win over Montenegro on Friday, Sept. 1, and another tournament title is brewing for the five-time champion. 

And as the timing would have it, there’s an ongoing debate online on what is considered a ‘world champion’ when American sprinter Noah Lyles gave his opinion on the NBA and offending some of its players in the process. 

After claiming his 200-meter world title at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest earlier this week, Lyles went on to get some things off his chest. 

“You know what hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have ‘world champion’ on their head. 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. We gotta do more. We gotta be presented to the world,” Lyles said. 

Team USA is undoubtedly one of the world’s best teams, one that is currently made up of rising NBA stars.

The American basketball league has also been where some of the best  non-American players in the world are playing like reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.

But when asked about his opinion on what is a world champion between being a World Cup champion or for having won the NBA title, Team USA head coach Steve Kerr just simply considered himself "both".

The debuting USA head coach could be looking at a potential World Cup title as his team stayed perfect with a 4-0 record in the standings in four outings. 

With that, the Americans remained in contention to be the champion of the world for the sixth time in the tournament's history.