Richard Jefferson Makes His Thoughts Clear On ‘World Champion’ Debate

The NBA world is still debating the term “world champion.”

A few weeks ago, track star Noah Lyles started quite the controversy when he said he didn’t think the winning team of the NBA Finals should be called “world champions.”

Since then, many others have jumped into the fray with their own thoughts.

Now former player and current analyst Richard Jefferson is giving his two cents.

“The Denver Nuggets, they’re the best team in the world. Germany, they’re the world champions,” Jefferson said, according to ClutchPoints.

He added: “You can be the best team in the world and you can also be a world champion.”

“The Denver Nuggets, they’re the best team in the world. Germany, they’re the world champions… So two things can be true: You can be the best team in the world and you can also be a world champion.”

—@Rjeff24

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/qTBngp6828

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 14, 2023

Jefferson’s point is perhaps a little murky and hard to follow but he claims that just because a team is the best in the world doesn’t mean they are also world champions.

He points to the fact that LeBron James was the best player in the world during his prime but wasn’t always voted NBA MVP.

Jefferson says that the answer is obvious but it’s not for many fans.

This argument has only heated up recently as Germany defeated every other team to become champions at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Does that make them the best team in the world or world champions?

It’ll be interesting to see what the NBA does this year when the Finals arrive.

Will they stick with the same wording they have always used or will all this talk of “world champions” lead them to start using “NBA champions” instead?

Either way, this argument isn’t going away any time soon no matter how many people give their opinions.

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