“Are we the World Champs now?”

Yes, Team USA did that when they delivered a promising finish when they won gold in the final of basketball against France, showing why Team USA is still the best in the world when it comes to the sport. This has been a long-awaited clap back by USA Basketball, who has been criticized by United States sprinter Noah Lyles for calling NBA winners as “world champions”.

Now, it seems that they have the last laugh. Around the same time last year, Lyles called out NBA teams for referring themselves as world champions when the league just consists of teams from the United States. The track and field star definitely did not hold back that time, especially when they went on to lose in the FIBA World Cup later that time.

"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."

USA Basketball’s Double Gold Finish

France was in the way of the gold finish for the United States, and it did seem that the odds were not really quite there for them to begin with. But USA drilled the big shots in the final – with the men’s team putting up massive performances to wrap up the day, while the women’s team sealed its promising finish against the same country squad.

USA Men’s Basketball continued its streak of five gold finishes in a row. The women’s team, on the other hand, has won its eighth straight championship in the Olympics. That says a lot about the double gold finish that has certainly hyped ever since the Paris Games began. Of course, there are many critics who loved to see them lose, but it does seem that the United States basketball teams did not want to waste this chance as they delivered a promising victory.

France settled for a silver medal in both competitions, and the country did put up an impressive fight, especially in the women’s game. However, USA would not be denied of a chance to finish strong in the big stage as they have waited for this chance to establish their dominance in the Olympics now more than ever.

World Champions of What?

At this point, the United States is now a legitimate world champion – at least after Lyles criticized them last August 2023. They still have to avenge their loss in the FIBA World Cup, which does not come until 2027, which will be hosted in Qatar from August 27 to September 12. That is another story that many fans will have to wait before they can yet clap back at Noah Lyles.

On the other hand, Lyles did manage to come up with a gold medal in the 100-meter, but had to settle for a bronze medal in the 200-meter, which he won gold back then. In a shocking twist, the USABMNT finished the Olympic campaign with an undefeated run, which says a lot about how fast they delivered a response to finally silence the critics and close out a promising run in the Olympics.

At the end of the day, both sides represent one flag, and they have done their part to deliver glory for the United States to close out the Olympics.