NBA's Josh Hart publicly wished for an unnamed US sprinter to lose at the Olympics, sparking controversy across sports leagues.
New York Knicks forward Josh Hart has expressed a controversial sentiment about the Olympics, specifically targeting an American sprinter Noah Lyles during a podcast appearance.
While Hart typically radiates patriotism, he revealed an exception during the Roommates Show podcast with teammate Jalen Brunson.
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The conversation took a surprising turn as Hart admitted his desire for one Team USA athlete to come up short at the Olympic games.
During the podcast, Hart’s comments initially aligned with his national pride, rooting for the US across most events.
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However, the atmosphere shifted when he touched on his hopes for one particular athlete's defeat.
"I feel like for most of these Olympics, I was very patriotic. I wanted Team USA to win gold in most every event," Hart began.
The statement soon took a different direction as Brunson interrupted, hinting at the controversial nature of what was about to be disclosed.
"Oh my God," Brunson interjected, "You can save yourself and just let it slide and just keep it pushin, bro, because there’s no reason.."
Brunson’s advice was to avoid the topic and move forward, but Hart continued, "I really wanted him to lose," followed by laughter.
He added, "I think it was the first time all of NBA Twitter banded together and was just hatin. I was hatin, and I was just like ‘Damn. You know what, respect. I can’t even hate anymore. You can talk as much as you want.’"
The athlete in question was none other than American track star Noah Lyles.
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Lyles, who had previously made comments critiquing NBA players' use of the term "world champions," seemed to have struck a nerve with Hart and the NBA community.
After his triumphs in the 2023 World Championships, Lyles questioned, "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."
These remarks did not sit well within the basketball community and evidently lingered long enough for Hart to voice his displeasure during the Olympics.
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While Lyles clinched the United States’ first gold in the men’s 100m since 2004 and later a bronze in the 200m, his performance was overshadowed by the controversy and his subsequent battle with COVID-19.
The debate stirred by Lyles’ comments and Hart's reaction highlight a deeper contention regarding the use of the term "world champion" in sports.
This issue has resonated beyond the NBA, eliciting comments from figures like Kevin Durant and even NFL star Tyreek Hill, who has also expressed skepticism regarding Lyles' Olympic performance and the legitimacy of his illness.