Paul George: Noah Lyles Technically Right, But NBA Champs Still Beat Best of the Best

Following the USA's fourth-place finish at the FIBA World Cup some NBA players were ready to give track star Noah Lyles credit for his "world champion" rant from a few weeks ago.

Among them was Paul George.

Sort of.

On the latest episode of his "Podcast P" podcast Presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, George spoke on the topic and he gave Lyles some props saying that "I think he's right, technically," while also remaining firm in the belief that NBA players earn the right to be called world champions.

"We're still world champions," George said. "We're beating the best of the best to be rightfully called world champions."

Los Angeles Clippers' governor Steve Ballmer, who was George's guest on the episode, agreed with the All-Star forward, while also acknowledging that teams that win international competitions—as Germany did at the World Cup—also deserve the title.

"It's sort of like a technicality which is, if you have to play for your country and only your country to have a world championship, I get that definitionally. If the best of the best have to beat the best of the best to be called a World Champion," Ballmer said. "If you ask me, I love the national games because they have a certain kind of spirit to them but if you want to know what the best of the best competition looks like, you watch the NBA Championship."

So, it wasn't too much of a concession on George and Ballmer's part.

George and Ballmer will once again have high expectations in 2023-24 as they try to bring the Clippers their first "World Championship" in franchise history. The two have helped lead one of the organization's most successful periods, making the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 2021.