"Absolutely supportive of track and field and Noah Lyles"-Michael Johnson on Carmelo Anthony's remarks on Paris Olympic gold medalist and athletics

Michael Johnson recently agreed with former American basketball player Carmelo Anthony's comments on Noah Lyles and track and field. The Noah Lyles-NBA controversy began after the American sprinter clinched three gold medals at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

Back then, Lyles took a swipe at NBA's world champion tag, saying:

"You know the thing that 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? Don't get me wrong. I love the U.S., at times, but that ain't the world," Lyles said.

Carmelo Anthony spoke about this on his podcast "7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony", and responded to the 27-year-old's comments by saying that he should be more focused on having a track and field league.

“Why do you keep shooting at the NBA," Anthony said. "If you wanna shoot, shoot at the fact that you ain’t got no league for your own. Shoot at that! Shoot at why they ain’t pouring money into that sport which they should be."

“You wanna be the world champion, you wanna be an Olympic gold medalist, fine. We support you 1000% but don’t be comparing none of that s**t to what we have going on over here," he added.

Although Anthony's remarks seemed like a jab at Lyles, Johnson clarified that the context was aimed at advancing athletics and benefiting Lyles, stating that the former Los Angeles Lakers player was advocating for track and field.

"This context around the comments regarding is important," Johnson wrote. "Melo is absolutely supportive of track and field and Noah."

"Fast, Dynamic, Racing" - Michael Johnson describes Grand Slam Track ahead of its first edition

Michael Johnson announced Grand Slam Track in February 2024. (Image by Getty)

Michael Johnson announced his ambition to kick off a specialized track and field league in February 2024, before disclosing the details and the name of the league in June 2024 at a press conference in Los Angeles, California.

The Grand Slam Track is slated to run from April to September 2025. With the four-time Olympic gold medalist pouring the finance for the league, it will feature multiple events. A total of $30 million is sourced from investors with Winners Alliance being the lead investor and operating partner.

In a promotional video of the league, when asked to describe the Gand Slam Track in three words, the former sprinting Olympic champion said:

"Fast, Dynamic, Racing"

The Grand Slam Track will feature 96 star athletes vying against each other in 12 races. As of June 2024, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and British middle-distance runner Josh Kerr have signed up to compete in the league.