TIM HOWARD: Yes, USA Olympic stars like LeBron James and Noah Lyles ARE arrogant. So what? It propels us to greatness… And why it’s time to lay off Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting

I played in the World Cup and the Champions League and for one of the biggest teams in the game, Manchester United. But only once in my career did I really feel like, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. That was in 2000, when I was part of Team USA at the Sydney Olympics.

I was only 21, but I remember thinking at that age how huge and special it was.

It wasn’t like I was representing the USMNT, which I did 121 times. In Sydney, I felt like I was part of something bigger. Something very powerful.

I remember hearing guys on the 1992 Dream Team say something similar: Yes, you can win an NBA championship. Yes, you can be MVP. But a gold medal? That’s different. The current U.S. basketball team is one game away from gold and their own piece of history.

LeBron James and co. have come under fire in Paris – for staying in a luxury hotel instead of the Olympic Village, for partying ahead of their quarterfinal match. And for narrowly beating Serbia.

DailyMail.Com columnist Tim Howard

But the only fact that matters is that they are on their way to another gold medal.

So they should forget the criticism and Noah Lyles too. The sprinter has been criticized for talking too much, partying too much and enjoying himself too much before the races.

Sure, there is a certain arrogance among American athletes. But that is what has propelled so many of us to greatness. That is a big reason why the U.S. is at the top of the medal table.

So I don’t have a problem with athletes being loud and brash. I’m fine with the talking and the confidence. Why?

You can’t be the best in the world without believing you are the best in the world. And no one will ever convince me otherwise.

We call it arrogance, but it’s actually an undying self-confidence that most people don’t possess. And it’s something you need.

You can’t climb to the top of the mountain and stay humble. We tell people to keep their feet on the ground. But when you have Kevin Durant or Steph Curry or LeBron, we’re talking about the best of the best that they’ve ever signed. They didn’t get there by holding back. Or by staying in their box. Lyles is no different.

Noah Lyles won gold in the 100m, but the vultures were ready when he took bronze in the 200m

He’s in a sport that thrives on self-promotion and he’s figured out how to turn his personality into dollar signs. He’s realized that if you’re polarizing, any publicity is good.

I like him, I understand why many don’t. But those critics still look at him because they want him to fail. I’ve been in that frying pan, I’ve had opponents, and when you’re on top, it fuels your fire. But athletes walk a tightrope every day.

If you talk and you back it up, fans will cheer you on. But if you stumble or fall, fans will criticize you.

That’s how it works — as Lyles discovered the hard way. It doesn’t matter that he won gold in the 100m. The vultures were already waiting when he finished third in the 200m.

But Letsile Tebogo, who beat Lyles in Paris, said something interesting after the race. He said he could never be the face of track and field. Because he doesn’t talk out of line. He doesn’t put himself in the spotlight.

He’s just running his race. That’s not Lyles. That’s not this 2024 Dream Team. That’s not America. And my message to our Olympic stars? Don’t change. In any way, shape or form.

Imane Khelif celebrates her Olympic gold medal after intense criticism in Paris

I have been discriminated against, but I could not even put myself in the shoes of the Algerian Imane Khelif and the Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting. The two boxers have been pilloried in Paris.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but what do I know? They are vilified as if they did something wrong. When they are brilliant athletes who did nothing wrong.

No one should be criticized for who they are or for wanting to further their careers. For wanting to win a gold medal under the current IOC rules.