"You know the thing that hurts me most? I have to watch the NBA finals and they have world champion on their heads. World champion of what? The United States?

 "You know the thing that hurts me most? I have to watch the NBA finals and they have world champion on their heads. World champion of what? The United States?

"Don’t get me wrong. I love the US, at times. But that isn't the world!"

Lyles added: "We have almost every country out here fighting, thriving and putting on a flag to show that they are represented. There are no flags in the NBA."

The question now is whether Lyles will be able to continue his fine form into next year's Paris Olympics, the ultimate global championships for the American spectator.

He won bronze in the 200m at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics, but to continue garnering attention, in his own words, Lyles needs to keep winning medals.

That was the go-to strength of Bolt: his ability to dominate and win multiple gold medals at global championships.

Lyles could not have done more in Budapest after bagging treble gold.

"It's sensational, amazing. You can't do better. It's out of control!"

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe described Lyles and his teammate Sha'Carri Richardson, who won a stunning women's 100m gold in Budapest, as "absolute rock stars", saying: "They both have come through in the most powerful way."

He added: "I've been optimistic for some years now. We were sitting here three or four years ago, and occasionally I got the question 'what are you all going to do when Usain Bolt leaves the scene?'

"Usain is Usain," Coe said, but he urged his audience to be excited about the "extraordinary nature of that range of talent that's now coming through both in track and field".