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NBA Legend Magic Johnson Gives Noah Lyles Props After Winning 100 Meters At Olympics

Shandel Richardson

Noah Lyles poses for a portrait at the National Training Center Track in Clermont, Florida, on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Lyles is an American sprinter looking toward multiple events and medals at the Paris Olympics. Lyles, who specializes in the 100 and 200 meters, would like to compete in the two short sprints in addition to the 4x100 and 4x400 relays at the Paris Olympics. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Lyles won a bronze medal in the men's 200-meter.
Noah Lyles poses for a portrait at the National Training Center Track in Clermont, Florida, on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Lyles is an American sprinter looking toward multiple events and medals at the Paris Olympics. Lyles, who specializes in the 100 and 200 meters, would like to compete in the two short sprints in addition to the 4x100 and 4x400 relays at the Paris Olympics. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Lyles won a bronze medal in the men's 200-meter. / Jasper Colt / USA TODAY NETWORK

NBA great Magic Johnson was among the first to congratulate sprinter Noah Lyles for winning the 100 meters at the Olympics Sunday.

Lyles became the first American to win the event since Justin Gatlin in 2004 in Athens. Lyles won a photo finish with a winning time of 9.79. He edged Kishane Thompson and Fred Kerley.

Johnson, a Hall of Famer, wasted little time to celebrate the victory. He immediately took to social media.

Here's what Johnson posted on X: "We’re all on the yacht cheering for Noah Lyles winning the Men’s 100M race and remaining the fastest man in the world! It’s the first time in 20 years that the US brings home the gold in the Men’s 100! Wow - what an exciting race!!"

Former Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade also joined the celebration. He used it as opportunity to silence those who criticize males for wearing nail polish. Wade is also part of the nail-painting fraternity.

"And he got his nails painted Say something," Wade wrote on X.

Lyles is now in the same class with Johnson and Wade. Johnson won a gold medal with the Dream Team in 1992 while Wade was part of the Redeem Team in 2008. This is Lyles' first gold medal. He won bronze in the 200 meters in Tokyo.

His victory came after finishing second in the earlier heat.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com