New York Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson didn’t believe a quote he read from Team USA sprinter Noah Lyles about Adidas and Anthony Edwards on social media was accurate. Unfortunately, for every legitimate sports news account on the X, formerly known as Twitter, there are a dozen parodies sharing quotes and other forms of false information to gain views and drive engagement, as Jalen Brunson is familiar with.
However, he wasn’t duped when NBACentral, a predominantly trusted NBA news account, shared the following quote from Lyles regarding Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards and his sponsorship deal with Adidas. In a recent interview with TIME’s Sean Gregory, Lyles claims he was offended when Adidas, the sports brand that sponsors both him and Anthony Edwards, invited the decorated track star to Edwards’ shoe-release event.
“You want to do what? You want to invite me to [an event for] a man who has not even been to an NBA Finals? In a sport that you don’t even care about? And you’re giving him a shoe?” No disrespect: the man is an amazing athlete. He is having a heck of a year. I love that they saw the insight to give him a shoe, because they saw that he was going to be big. All I’m asking is, ‘How could you not see that for me?’”
Brunson thought he was reading a fictitious quote from NBACentel, a trolling NBA parody account known for tricking its readers because it’s only one letter off from NBACentral.
“Damn, I thought this was Centel,” Brunson wrote in response.
In light of Lyles’ remark, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist isn’t naive. While he understands the NBA, considered one of the United States’ four major sports, draws in a significantly wider audience than track and field, he believes Adidas fumbled a golden marketing campaign to grow his brand and the sport itself.
Adidas, who signed Lyles to a contract extension in February, declined to comment on Lyles’ remarks.
Noah Lyles plans to grow track and field popularity in the U.S.
As Team USA’s track-and-field ambassador, Lyles plans to raise the sport’s popularity in America to new heights. Unlike most NBA superstars, either as old as LeBron James, 39, or as young as Anthony Edwards, 23, Lyles can walk into a local chain restaurant without a single person recognizing who he is.
He wants to change that. Lyles believes he’s the right man for the job if given the opportunity.
“Yeah, why not,” he says. “That’s my plan,” Lyles said, per TIME’s Sean Gregory. “I have the personality, I have the speed, I have the showmanship,” says Lyles. “I have the marketing mindset. I’m willing to be uncomfortable.”
Lyles, recently featured in a VISA commercial, shot two spots for Adidas but hopes to host Saturday Night Live one day.
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