Simone Biles gets LeBron’s praise, but Noah Lyles is left out—Fair or foul?
The Paris Olympics was a thrilling experience for both fans and athletes alike, with the atmosphere buzzing with excitement. And perhaps Team USA was the most excited for Simone Biles and her legendary comeback. One of the most celebrated gymnasts of all time, Biles has been a source of inspiration for practically the whole world. So, it’s really no surprise that she has garnered the respect of NBA legends like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and more. In fact, Bron has never shied away from showing his love for the 27-year-old.
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And he did it again in his appearance on GoJo & Golic. While he recapped his entire Olympic journey, James mentioned the events that he was most excited about, aside from basketball, of course. “It’s always fascinating to see track and field and also gymnastics. Obviously seeing Simone Biles continue to dominate her sport at the level that she’s at and it was unbelievable! ” LeBron said.
via Reuters
But what made Biles that much more special to the 4x champion was because of his daughter. “Having a black girl, daughter in my household who loves gymnastics, loves volleyball, and things of that nature, to have an example like Simone, is unbelievable,” James explained. This isn’t the first time the 39-year-old has talked about how Simone Biles has been an inspiration for not just his daughter or even girls, but rather any and everyone regardless of the sport.
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Biles had announced her return from the two-year break after the infamous 202o Tokyo Olympics. She had cited mental health, primarily twisties, as the reason for withdrawing from the Summer Olympics. The backlash the 23x World Champion received was brutal, with terms like “quitter” and “selfish” thrown around. But she held her ground and as we saw in Paris, came back even stronger!
Hence, it’s little wonder that LeBron James, who has also been at the receiving end of such criticism (just think of ‘The Decision’), would be in awe of Simone Biles. But the same cannot be said of a certain track and field superstar who went head-to-head against the entire NBA.
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“I love seeing those runners,”: LeBron James wasn’t as subtle as he thought when it came to track and field
“World champions of what?” A comment that virtually started a war and which put Noah Lyles at odds with his fellow athletes. The charismatic 27-year-old sprinter found himself fighting America for his controversial remark at the press conference at the World Championships in Budapest last year. Needless to say, NBA entities, past and current, had a word or two for him. And unsurprisingly, KD led the charge, followed by Draymond Green.
However, LeBron James didn’t respond to it. At least, not in the way his colleagues did. Until now, that is. Apart from gymnastics, the ‘Akron Hammer’ named track and field as his favorite event of the Olympics. But did he have the same kind of enthusiasm for it as he did for gymnastics and Biles? Keep reading to find out what he said.
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“I love seeing those runners. They run extremely fast, if it’s one for endurance, like the 400 or whatever the case may be, if it’s the 4×1 relay and that’s all countries. I just love seeing track and field and seeing the great athletes that we have all over the world. But you know, it’s pretty cool.” Said ‘The King’.
Yeah … real subtle Bron, real subtle. Do we even need to say anything more? But we would love to hear from you! Do let us know your thoughts on LeSneaky’s attempts at maintaining that professionalism.
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Written by
Geisha Pulimoottil Don 1414 Articles Writing Beyond the Arc
Geisha, serving as an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, actively engages in the coverage of breaking news, specializing particularly in injury reports. Demonstrating a notable proficiency in beat reporting, she is currently advancing her scope to include events, focusing specifically on refining her skills in play-by-play commentary through Live Blogs. Moreover, she maintains a vigilant watch on BTS narratives, recognizing their potential to shape or disrupt the NBA landscape.