A member of Germany's FIBA World Cup winning team has weighed in on the debate ignited by American athlete Noah Lyles, backing up his position that the winners of the NBA shouldn't call themselves world champion. Andreas Obst certainly didn't hold back in espousing his view – perhaps unsurprising given his recent success on the world stage.

“In the NBA they say they are World Champions because the best players in the world play there,” Obst said, “but they are still champions of the domestic league, and we in Germany are the champions of a World Cup… They have always had this attitude, that they are the best at something and you can certainly characterize them with many different things.”

Lyles first sparked the debate during the World Cup, questioning why the NBA Finals winners have “world champion” above their head. “World champion of what?” Lyles asked. “The United States?”

The comments certainly weren't well-received by many in the NBA fraternity, with names ranging from Kevin Durant and Devin Booker all the way to Drake expressing their disdain for the view. But it certainly wasn't a one-sided argument; comments from Gregg Popovich in 2010 which backed up Lyles' view added plenty of credibility to that side of the debate, and there was a clear delineation between the views of American NBA players and those from abroad, Giannis Antetokounmpo one such example.

Obst, of course, has reason to defend the sanctity of the term world champions, after he became one in the most literal sense of the word just a few weeks ago. His view continues a notable trend in the debate in which, for the most part, those disagreeing with Lyles are from the USA, and those agreeing are not.