Giannis Antetokounmpo defends track star's 'world champions' take: 'So much backlash for saying the obvious'

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Noah Lyles' recent criticism of NBA players calling themselves "world champions" has gotten heat from current and former basketball players.

But the U.S. track and field star does have one prominent figure on his side in one of the best players that basketball has ever seen.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a seven-time All-Star, two-time MVP and one-time NBA champion. But Lyles says the Milwaukee Bucks superstar is only an NBA champ, not a world champ – and the "Greek Freak" himself agrees.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball in the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Fiserv Forum on March 4, 2023, in Milwaukee. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

In an appearance on the "48 Minutes" podcast, Antetokounmpo said Lyles stated "the obvious" in his now-controversial comments.

"I wanted to back him up so bad. He received so much backlash for saying the obvious," Antetokounmpo said. "I don't think in any other sport you are called the world champions. In soccer, which is way bigger than the NBA, more popular than the NBA, when they win the Champions League, they say you are the UEFA Champions League champions or whatever the case might be. They don't say' the world champions.' When they win the World Cup, they play against the USA team, they play against the teams around the world, countries around the world, then they say they're the world champs. But in the NBA, you say they're the world champs."

"At the end of the day, in order for you to be the world champ, you have to beat the world."

Antetokounmpo went on to say that the NBA has "the best talent that you