Kevin Durant, Devin Booker Clap Back At Noah Lyles For 'World Champ' Comment

Noah Lyles clearly ruffled feathers when he criticized NBA players for calling themselves "world champions" after winning an NBA title ... 'cause Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Draymond Green and other hoop stars clapped back at the track star for the perceived shade!

If you missed it, Lyles, who just won three golds (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay) at the World Athletic Games in Budapest, Hungary, criticized NBA players for calling themselves "world champions," saying NBA players shouldn't get that moniker when they only play in the U.S. and Canada.

"You know what hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have ‘world champion’ on their head. World champion of what? The United States?!" Lyles said.

"Don't get me wrong, I love the U.S., at times, but that ain't the world. That is not the world. We are the world. We have almost every country out here fighting, thriving, putting on their flag to show that they are represented. There ain't no flags in the NBA."

Several NBA stars caught wind of 26-year-old Lyle's comments.

"Somebody help this brother," Durant wrote in the comments, while Booker left a face-palm emoji.

Draymond -- a 4x NBA champ -- also had a few words for the world's fastest man ... "When being smart goes wrong 🤦🏿‍♂️".

NBA players weren't the only ones clappin' back ... fans also flooded Lyles' IG comment section, with one writing, "Your insecurity is insane. Sorry track isn’t the premier sport in the US."

Of course, Lyles is technically right. The NBA championship is played in North America. But, the NBA teams feature the best players from not just America or Canada, but around the world. Giannis, Jokic, etc.