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Soon After Noah Lyles Faced Scathing Backlash, Ex-NBA All-Star Pits LeBron James Against Nikola Jokic to Argue a Point

Published 08/31/2023, 5:30 AM EDT

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Track star Noah Lyles’ comments have spread like wildfire in the last few days. Many believed that he went on to diss the entire NBA for calling themselves ‘World champions’. Veteran NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith too went off on Lyles before issuing an apology and agreeing that he was wrong on his part. However, this ex-NBA star does not feel the same way.

Noah Lyles’ comments have managed to cause quite a controversy leading many to speculate on it. And this legend went on to bring in players like Nikola Jokic and LeBron James to prove his point.

Gilbert Arenas goes off with his Nikola Jokic-LeBron James take

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Gilbert Arenas has been one of the more vocal legends on his podcast. Arenas went on to address Noah Lyles’ comments and decided to give his own spin on it before bringing in big names to get the upper hand in the argument.

USA Today via Reuters

During the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, Arenas and the rest of the guests talked about Lyles’ statement. This led to an argument on why the NBA is the best basketball league in the world. Eventually, the Washington Wizards legend pointed out that American players are still the best in the league instead of European players.

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As the argument went on, Arenas mentioned names like Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James to make his point. He said, “You know how they say Joker is the best player in the NBA? Then let’s do individual skill work. One on one.”

“Is he the best player in the world now? Is he going to beat Kevin Durant? Is he going to beat LeBron James one on one? F**k no.”

Are European players taking over?

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The whole argument between Gilbert Arenas and the rest of the hosts went to become very livid as it went on. Arenas pointed out that Noah Lyles made his comments from an individual’s perspective.

And that is what prompted the argument for individual talent in the NBA. Stacking players to go head-on in a game of one-on-one against one another to find out who the best player in the league is.

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Now whether that may take place or not, Arenas was adamant that American players are still the best in the league. Despite players from European countries making big strides in the league.

So, do you think you agree with Arenas’ take or do you believe that European players are better? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Abhishek Dhariwal

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Abhishek Dhariwal is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports with a background in journalism and mass communication. Abhishek uses storytelling along with feedback gathering to curate elegant and exclusive content for ES. His writing covers a wide range of topics, from in-game coverage to off-court activities of NBA stars.
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Edited by:

Sameen Nawathe