![]() ![]() But I'm retired now, and I can look back and say that my biggest achievement is the relationships that I made with my team-mates along the journey. "It's hard to say what your biggest achievements are when you're playing because you're always striving for more. He would go on to have a successful 13-year career in the North American league, earning multiple accolades including two All-Star selections, one All-NBA First Team nomination, two NBA All-Defensive First Team selections, and the winner of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award (2014).īut what does Noah think his biggest achievement was during his time in the NBA? (2007 Getty Images)įollowing on from his college success, Noah was considered to be a lottery pick for the 2007 NBA Draft, where he was selected with the ninth pick by the Chicago Bulls. Joakim Noah #13 of the Florida Gators cuts down the net after his team defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2007 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game. Noah earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Florida in 2004, where he spent four years, winning two North American collegiate championships with the Gators. During his time in France and New York City, Noah played for the youth team of French club Levallois Sporting Club and the United Nations International School, Poly Prep Country Day School, and The Lawrenceville School in the United States. Noah moved to Paris in 1988 when he was three years old, returning to the Big Apple when he was 13. So it's been a big part of my life since I was a little boy." "But I chose a different route: I chose basketball. My father was a tennis player and my grandfather was a soccer player, so I understood what it took to be a professional athlete. Joakim Noah #13 of the New York Knicks reacts against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half at Madison Square Garden on Octoin New York City. ![]() I woould even say it's like a religion over there," Noah told us. "I grew up in New York City, and basketball is a big part of the culture there. Adding to his diverse international heritage, Noah's mother Cécilia Rodhe won the 1978 Miss Sweden beauty pagent and competed in the Miss Universe pageant in the same year.īut for Noah, who holds American, French, and Swedish citizenship, there was only going to be one sport for him. Joakim Noah comes from a sporting background: his father Yannick Noah won the French Open tennis title in 1983 and was once ranked third in the men's world tennis rankings, while his grandfather Zacharie Noah was a Cameroonian professional football player who won the Coupe de France in 1961 with UA Sedan-Torcy. sat down with the two-time NCAA champion and EuroBasket silver medallist to discuss the transition from playing pro basketball to launching OCBL in Chicago, the influence of his family on his career and philanthropic work, looking ahead to the basketball tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and more.īasketball legend Joakim Noah: 'France really has a chance' at Paris 2024 Noah's path from New York to the NBA Though he may have retired from playing professional basketball in 2020, Noah is still providing an impact on the sport and giving back to communities through his One City Basketball League (OCBL). In fact, it's a testament to Noah's impact on basketball - not to mention his iconic locks and beard - that he will always be recognised by fans of the game wherever he goes. The 2.11m (6' 11") big man was renowned for his incredible hustle and defensive tenacity on the hardwood, as evidenced by his many awards and accolades over the course of a 13-year career in the NBA. For fans of basketball in the early 2000s to the late 2010s, Joakim Noah was an unmistakable presence on the court. ![]()
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