Tag: Joakim Noah

Chicago alum Joakim Noah on the growth of overseas basketball and his Bulls legacy

Noah recently opened up in an interview about his time with Chicago and the growth of the sport abroad.

Back when he was winning national titles with the University of Florida, it was clear that former Chicago Bulls big man Joakim Noah would carve a career out for himself at the next level, and he found fame with the Bulls, who drafted him ninth overall in the 2007 NBA draft.

Noah would go on to make two NBA All-Star teams (2013 and 2014), All-NBA First Team (in 2014), All-Defensive First Team (2013 and 2014), All-Defensive Second Team (2011), and several other honors while playing for the Bulls. A Chicago legend in his time with the team, the New York City native recently took some time to sit down with the hosts of the “Point Forward” podcast, Evan Turner and Andre Iguodala.

The trio of former NBAers shared their thoughts on the league of today as well as Noah’s career in Chicago, among various other topics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbX7og2N_og

To hear what they had to say for yourself, check out the clip embedded above, or click here to play it on YouTube.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Devin Booker reacted to his game-winner by recalling his beef with Joakim Noah about double teams

DBook is no longer complaining about the double.

Thanks to Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns have now won seven games in a row and eight of the nine games he has played in 2023-24.

Despite some poor injury luck to start the season in Phoenix, the Suns are still near the top of the standings in the Western Conference and Booker is playing some of his best basketball to date.

He proved as much once again on Sunday by hitting a game-winning shot in Madison Square Garden against the Knicks.

Despite the double coverage, Booker nailed a 3-pointer from 26 feet to give the Suns a three-point lead. The shot eventually sealed the deal to secure an exciting win for Phoenix.

After the game, he posted on Instagram to celebrate the impressive shot.

This is likely a reference to when Booker went viral in 2019 for complaining about Joakim Noah sending a double-team on him during an open gym pick-up game. Afterward, Booker’s future teammate Kevin Durant as well as the late Kobe Bryant weighed in on the controversy.

He has since joked about the incident and also changed his tune about the conversation.

Although the argument that Booker actually did struggle against blitzing and trapping had some validity, he silenced those critics by connecting on one of the most clutch shots of the season.

Booker has only played in slightly more than half of the games possible for Phoenix so far this season. But he still ranks among the highest for Clutch Win Probability Added, per Inpredictable.

[lawrence-related id=2170056,2155501,2116588,2052697]

Will former Bulls star Joakim Noah be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer?

Should former Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer?

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8170″]

The Chicago Bulls are one of the most historic franchises in the history of the NBA. From Michael Jordan to Scottie Pippen to Derrick Rose, they have been home to some legendary players. Even beyond the best of the best, some top-notch individuals have donned the red and black in Chicago.

One of those players, Joakim Noah, is going to be eligible for entrance into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next year. And as the Hall of Fame weekend proceedings continue, next summer’s class is becoming a topic of conversation. Could Noah get inducted in his first year of eligibility?

The guys of CHGO Sports discussed this very topic on their YouTube channel.

Should the two-time All-Star and one-time Defensive Player of the Year gain entrance to the Hall of Fame next summer?

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Former Bulls Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah go to watch Victor Wembanyama

Former Chicago Bulls stars Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah traveled to France to watch Victor Wembanyama play.

Ever since the Michael Jordan years, the Chicago Bulls have been up and down. For the majority of the last 30 years, they’ve sat in the middle of the pack. But for a brief period of time in the early 2010s, Chicago had hope. And that hope came in the form of Derrick Rose.

The hometown kid was drafted first-overall to the Bulls in 2008, and just one year prior, Chicago picked up Joakim Noah, who would become one of Rose’s right-hand men. The two have been friends since, and recently, they traveled all the way to France to watch soon-to-be number-one pick Victor Wembanyama.

Wembanyama spent this past season playing for Metropolitans 92 in France, and he just recently helped them advance to the playoffs. The team snapped a photo of Rose and Noah sitting by the court to watch him play, which was relayed to Twitter by Daniel Greenberg.

Chicago had a tiny chance to jump up to the first pick and select Wembanyama, but instead, their first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft remained at 11th and was conveyed to the Orlando Magic.

Instead, the San Antonio Spurs won the lottery and will have the right to select Wembanyama. He’ll join a long line of dominant big men selected first overall by the Spurs. It’s a group highlighted by David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

San Antonio also has experience developing French players, as Tony Parker became a dominant force with the Spurs, carving out a Hall-of-Fame career that includes an NBA Finals MVP.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Kevin Garnett and Joakim Noah on their beef, the NBA of today and tomorrow

The longtime antagonists and the story of how they came to be enemies on the hardwood and talk on the league now and in the future.

Most avid fans of Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man Kevin Garnett are aware of the animosity between The Big Ticket and longtime Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah, and many recently learned about it with the release of part of the recent interview between the former on-court foes on the Showtime Basketball “KG Certified” podcast.

But the longtime antagonists and the story of how they came to be enemies on the hardwood is not the only thing they had to talk about in their time together chatting up the league of their era.

The pair also get into the league of today as well as tomorrow, with some talk on this season and the imminent arrival of Victor Wembanyama.

To hear their talk in full as they squash their beef now that they have ended their respective playing careers, take a look at the clip embedded above.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=590969556]

Joakim Noah reveals how Kevin Garnett’s trash talk turned him into an animal

The Celtics great had no quarter for the Florida alum when Noah first played KG as a rookie.

By now, most fans of the Boston Celtics have heard the story of what happened when a young Joakim Noah tried to make a friend out of his childhood idol Kevin Garnett when the former University of Florida standout first met The Big Ticket on the court.

It was truly a “welcome to the NBA” moment for Noah, who recounted in part interviews how that experience changed his entire outlook on the sport and how he conducted himself on the court.

On a recent episode of the Showtime Basketball “KG Certified” podcast Garnett and Noah talked about that day and plenty more.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what the duo had to say about trash talk and the on-court code of conduct in that era.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=590969556]

Kevin Garnett and ex-Chicago Bulls star Joakim Noah squash beef

After years of the same old stories being told, Chicago Bulls big man Joakim Noah and Kevin Garnett sat down to squash the beef.

Despite their recent struggles, the Chicago Bulls have a rich history. Obviously, the first era that comes to mind is the Michael Jordan-led Bulls. But since then, Chicago has fielded some fun roster. Most notably, there were the Derrick Rose Bulls, which also featured a variety of interesting characters alongside the former number-one pick.

From Luol Deng to Taj Gibson, the Bulls employed some fun players, but outside of Rose, few were as impactful as Joakim Noah. The hard-nosed big man was a defensive menace and made it a habit to get under the skin of his opponents. One of his most infamous beefs was with Kevin Garnett, but the two recently put it to rest.

On a recent episode of KG CERTIFIED, Noah sat down with Garnett, and the two star big man spoke about their rivalry on the court. Despite the fire they showed in their playing days, the conversation showed that they have nothing but respect for one another.

“I was trying to destroy your will,” Garnett told Noah. “But never in another stratosphere would I ever thought that you were a fan of mine. So, I come today and I say, I apologize for killing that light, my brother.”

During one of their matchups back in the day, Noah told Garnett that he was a huge fan of his. Garnett, being the fierce competitor that he is, snapped back at the Bulls big man, completely shutting him down.

The moment became a legendary story, and the two big men have told their sides of it plenty of times over the years. But after finally sitting down together and talking about the incident, it’s clear that there’s no bad blood between the two.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Colin Castleton climbing Florida’s all-time shot blocker list

Take a look at where Colin Castleton ranks among the all-time shot blockers at Florida.

Florida basketball has a formidable force down low on defense in the form of center [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag], a fifth-year senior who transferred to the Gators from the Michigan Wolverines ahead of the 2020-21 campaign.

While the 6-foot-11-inch, 250-pound big guy has made his presence felt in the paint during his three years in Gainesville, he has stepped things up in his final campaign. Notching 54 and 62 blocks in his first two years wearing the Orange and Blue, respectively, he already has 38 blocks in just 15 games played (vs. 24 and 28 games, respectively).

Castleton came into the season right at No. 10 on the list with 116 blocks but has quickly worked his way up. While there is a good chance he could finish third or fourth all-time if he remains healthy and consistent it is practically impossible for him to catch up to No. 1.

Take a look below at Florida’s top 10 shot blockers over the course of history and where Castleton currently ranks among them as the 2022-23 season rolls along.

The 10 best Cyber Monday deals for the Florida Gators fan in your life

The best holiday gift ideas for any Florida Gators fan in your life.

Happy holidays, Florida fans!

Football season is coming down the home stretch, basketball season has started, and for NCAA fans it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

It’s been an up-and-down football season for Florida, but Gators Wire is giving you a reason to celebrate this holiday season.

Whether you’re an alumni, a current “Gainesvillain”, or just really love to reminisce about the days of Tim Tebow, Emmitt Smith and Joakim Noah, we’ve got you covered with our list of best Gators gifts for the holiday season.

Fanatics is offering 30% off all orders on Cyber Monday, so take at least 30% off the prices in the list below and get the perfect gift for the Florida fan in your life.

If you need another gift for the sports fan in your life, consider a USA Today Subscription which includes Sports +, exclusive access to our Sports + app and the best content from across the entire USA Today Sports network.

[afflinkbutton text=”Gift a USA Today Sports Subscription” link=”https://checkout.usatoday.com/usatoday_PurchaseGift?marketCode=USAT&PID=7417&discount_module=true&gps-source=CPGIFTGUIDE&utm_campaign=2022GIFTGUIDE&utm_medium=onsite&utm_source=giftguide”]

Ray Allen on Kevin Garnett eviscerating Joakim Noah for paying him a compliment

Even though he grew up a fan of Boston Celtics big man legend Kevin Garnett, two-time NCAA champion center Joakim Noah did not see his former idol KG in quite the same light.

Even though he grew up a fan of Boston Celtics big man legend Kevin Garnett, two-time NCAA champion center Joakim Noah did not see his former idol KG in quite the same light after experiencing the full brunt of his competitive fire at the NBA level.

One such example can be found in a story recently told by Hall of Fame Celtics shooting guard Ray Allen to the folks at Basketball News’ “Poseast” podcast (hosted by fellow Banner 17 teammate James Posey) in which Noah got the business from the Big Ticket after paying him a compliment mid-game. The then-Chicago Bull was eviscerated by Garnett to the horror of Allen, who said he froze inside it was such a brutal tongue-lashing.

Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear the story from Jesus Shuttlesworth himself.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/i8CYjGHcps8

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

[mm-video type=video id=01gh253vyamczmxp842v playlist_id=01eqbzegwgnrje4tv2 player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gh253vyamczmxp842v/01gh253vyamczmxp842v-a3019bcd2af90e47260d852103c61311.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=111984,111982,111976,112034,112032,111912]

[listicle id=112037]

[listicle id=111986]

[listicle id=112043]

[listicle id=111938]

[vertical-gallery id=112065]