'It Wasn’t My Gift'- Noah Lyles Calls Out IShowSpeed for Wearing Edited Shirt on Stream

The American sprint star sparked buzz after calling out a YouTuber on social media, following their past friendly head-to-head encounter.

Noah Lyles has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind whether on the track or off it. 

The American sprinter, known for his blistering pace and bold personality, recently took to social media to call out popular content creator Darren Jason Watkins Jr., better known to millions as IShowSpeed.

The incident came after a clip from IShowSpeed’s livestream went viral, where the 20-year-old YouTuber was seen wearing what fans believed to be a T-shirt gifted by Lyles himself. 

PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Sports News in Kenya from Pulse Sports

However, Lyles clarified that while he did gift Speed a shirt featuring his artwork, the shirt seen in the viral clip was not the same piece. Instead, he claimed it was a fake version with key details altered.

“Tell @IShowSpeed on YouTube He’s wearing a fake Ozzy shirt. He was recently my art on a shirt with my name edited out @ozzyoz_da_vyrus,” Lyles wrote on his Instagram story, putting the record straight for his followers.

The sprinter’s post sparked conversations among fans, many of whom recalled the duo’s previous face-off. 

Last year, IShowSpeed and Lyles competed in a lighthearted 50-meter race organized by popular YouTuber MrBeast. While Lyles naturally emerged victorious, Speed surprised onlookers with his raw athleticism and determination.

In fact, Lyles himself acknowledged that the young creator has untapped potential. Speaking on a podcast following their race, the Olympic gold medalist even suggested that with the right training, Speed could become an athlete worthy of the Olympic stage in Los Angeles by 2028.

Misunderstood Confidence

The outspoken sprinter has often been labeled as “cocky” by some critics, but Lyles believes the perception stems from misunderstanding rather than reality. In his recent appearance on the SpeakEasy podcast, he offered a deeper look into his mindset as an elite athlete.

“It’s probably uh me being co**y because in reality it’s me just having confidence. It’s just y’all don’t understand the things that I’ve had to go through to be at this point to know why I’m so confident. And at the end of the day, the reason that they get mad is cuz I keep doing the things that I say that I’m going to do.”

Lyles emphasized that his true personality often doesn’t come across in the snippets fans see on television.

“But when they actually end up meeting me, they they’re like, ‘Oh, wow. This man is actually super down-to-earth.’ He’s, you know, tries to help everybody. He does all these things, but you only get to see me for 19 seconds. You only get to see the competitive Noah. You know, the 9 seconds, the short little interviews.”

Closing Out a Strong Season

Despite the online buzz surrounding his remarks about IShowSpeed, Lyles’ athletic career continues to shine. 

He recently wrapped up his season at the World Championships in Tokyo with three medals to his name. 

Lyles narrowly missed out on defending his men’s 100m title, he struck gold in both the men’s 200m and the 4x100m relay, cementing his reputation as one of the sport’s most versatile sprinters.