Joakim Simon Noah ( JOH-ə-kim; born February 25, 1985) is a former professional basketball player. Born in New York, Noah was a member of the France national team and played college basketball for the Florida Gators, winning back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007. The Chicago Bulls selected Noah with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Noah is a two-time NBA All-Star and was named to the All-NBA First Team in 2014 when he also was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
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Early life
Noah was born in Manhattan, New York, to French singer and former world No. 3 tennis player Yannick Noah, winner of the French Open in 1983, and Cécilia Rodhe, Miss Sweden and fourth runner-up at Miss Universe 1978. His grandfather Zacharie Noah was a Cameroonian professional football player, winner of the Coupe de France in 1961. Noah lived in Paris, France, from 1988 to 1998 and returned to New York City at age 13.
He played youth basketball with the youth teams of the French club Levallois Sporting Club, in Paris. He played high school basketball for the United Nations International School, Poly Prep Country Day School and The Lawrenceville School.
Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Noah was listed as the No. 19 power forward and the No. 75 player in the nation in 2004.
College career
Noah accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida, where he played for coach Billy Donovan's Florida Gators men's basketball team from 2004 to 2007. Noah was a member of Donovan's 2004 recruiting class, a group that included four freshmen who would have a dramatic impact on the Gators basketball program during the next three seasons. During his 2004–05 freshman year, he played 9.4 minutes per game and averaged only 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
During Noah's 2005–06 sophomore year, he was listed as power forward but was moved to center to replace Al Horford, and in that position he led his team in points (14.2 ppg) and blocks (2.4 bpg), while ranking second in rebounds (7.1 rpg) behind teammate Al Horford (7.6 rpg). Almost unknown at the beginning of the season, Noah's projected draft position improved over time. By the end of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, he had declared for the 2006 NBA draft. However, Noah, along with teammates Horford and Corey Brewer, announced at the Gators' national championship celebration that they would return for their junior seasons. Noah and the Florida Gators would go on to repeat as 2006–07 national champions.
Noah was named the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) of the NCAA Tournament's Minneapolis Regional after leading the Gators over top-seeded Villanova in the final game with 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks. On April 3, 2006, 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Game Noah paced the Gators to a 73–57 victory over the UCLA Bruins for the school's first NCAA basketball championship and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. In the final game, he scored 16 points, made 9 rebounds, and blocked a championship game record 6 shots.
The next year after the Gators won the 2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, they went forward to the next year with five returning starters. Noah started off the tournament with 17 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes of play in a win vs. the Jackson State Tigers. In the second round, Noah scored nine points and had nine rebounds in a win vs. the Purdue Boilermakers. The Purdue game, Butler Bulldogs game, and Ohio State championship game were the only three games he did not have double digit rebounds in the tournament; although he had nine rebounds in two of those games. He had a tournament high, 14 points and 14 rebounds in the Elite Eight in a win vs. the Oregon Ducks. In the championship game vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes, he was in a match-up against the future 2007 NBA Draft number one pick, Greg Oden. Regardless, he was still able to score eight points and grab three rebounds, although getting into foul trouble. He also was perfect from the free throw line, making six shots on six attempts. With the help of Noah on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, the Florida Gators were able to win their second championship in two years.
Professional career
Chicago Bulls (2007–2016)
The Chicago Bulls selected Noah as the ninth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Noah and his teammates at Florida, Corey Brewer and Al Horford, became the highest-picked trio from the same college in the history of the NBA. Horford was chosen third overall by the Atlanta Hawks, and Brewer was chosen seventh overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. On November 6, 2007, Noah made his regular season debut off the bench after missing the first three games with a sprained ankle. He scored 2 points and had 4 rebounds. Noah had a rocky start with his team after being given a suspension by a unanimous vote from his teammates in January 2008 following a confrontation with assistant coach Ron Adams.
Noah averaged 6.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game during the 2008–09 regular season. Noah played a key role in Game 6 of the 2009 Eastern Conference first-round playoff series between the Bulls and the Boston Celtics. In the final minute of the game's third overtime period, with the score tied at 123–123, he stole the ball from Paul Pierce and dribbled down the court (unusual for a center) for a dunk, drawing Pierce's sixth foul in the process. The Bulls went on to win the game 128–127, though they would lose the series in Game 7.
During the 2009–10 season, Noah averaged 10.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. He only played 64 games due to injury. The Bulls once again made the playoffs, securing the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. In the playoffs, Noah averaged 14.8 points per game and 13.0 rebounds, but the Bulls lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round in five games.
On October 4, 2010, Noah signed a five-year, $60 million contract extension with the Bulls. On December 15, 2010, the Bulls announced that due to ligament damage in Noah's hand, he would have surgery and miss 8 to 10 weeks. Noah was averaging 14 points and 11.7 rebounds in the 24 games prior to his injury. He returned to action in the 55th game of the season on February 23 after recuperating from right thumb surgery. He scored 7 points and had 16 rebounds in just over 24 minutes. He returned to the inactive list for games 74, 75 and 76.
On February 22, 2012, Noah recorded his first career triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. It was the first triple-double by a Bulls center since Artis Gilmore recorded one in 1977.
New York Knicks (2016–2018)
On July 8, 2016, Noah signed a four-year, $72 million contract with his hometown team, the New York Knicks. A questionable contract at the time, it was later labeled "disastrous" and the "worst signing in franchise history". On February 27, 2017, he underwent a left knee arthroscopy to remove a loose body, and was subsequently ruled out for at least three to four weeks. On March 25, 2017, Noah was suspended for 20 games without pay for violating the league's anti-drug policy after testing positive for LGD-4033, a selective androgen receptor modulator that he later said was in a supplement he took for injuries. Noah, having not played since February 4, was likely to miss the Knicks' final 10 games of the season because of a left knee injury anyway. The suspension carried over into the first 10 games of the 2017–18 season. Noah, unaware of his violation, did not appeal his suspension. On April 12, 2017, it was deemed that Noah required surgery for a left torn rotator cuff and would need four to six months to rehabilitate.
On November 27, 2017, the Knicks activated Noah and gave him his first playing time since February. Noah entered the Knicks' contest against the Portland Trail Blazers in the second quarter and had a three-minute stint, making his only shot attempt and grabbing a rebound. Two days later, he was assigned to the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League for a one-day stint, playing for Westchester that night in a loss against the Maine Red Claws. In January 2018, Noah went into exile from the Knicks after having a heated verbal altercation with coach Jeff Hornacek. Noah appeared in just seven games during the 2017–18 season, averaging 5.7 minutes off the bench.
On October 13, 2018, the Knicks released Noah via the stretch-provision waiver. Using the stretch provision allowed the Knicks to save $12.6 million in cap space in 2019. Noah, who had $38 million left on his contract, was reluctant to give up any money on the remaining two years of his deal. The delay in waiving him was as a result of the Knicks trying to get Noah to give up more money in a buyout.
Memphis Grizzlies (2018–2019)
On December 4, 2018, Noah signed with the Memphis Grizzlies for the remainder of the season. On February 9, 2019, he had season highs of 19 points and 14 rebounds in a 99–90 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. On February 22, 2019, he recorded 22 points (with 12 free throws) and 11 rebounds in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Los Angeles Clippers (2020)
On March 9, 2020, Noah signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, and signed a multi-year contract on June 28. On December 1, Noah was waived by the Clippers.
Noah announced his retirement from professional basketball on March 1, 2021.
On October 28, 2021, the Chicago Bulls hosted a "Joakim Noah Night" in honor of Noah, where he was named an ambassador for the team.
National team career
Noah holds citizenship to France, the United States and Sweden, though chose to play for the senior France national basketball team, stating that it was the country he had wanted to represent.
Noah made his first appearance for the senior France national team on July 24, 2009, in a friendly match against Austria, in which he scored 16 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Noah then joined the French team at EuroBasket 2011.
He did not join the French Olympic team for the London 2012 Summer Olympics, due to a serious ankle injury that occurred during the 2012 NBA playoffs. Noah said that he needed more time and rehabilitation work before he would be ready to play again.
Player profile
Noah had one of the most unconventional shooting styles in NBA history, shooting a two-handed push shot that was regularly described as "awkward" or "unorthodox". At a pick-up basketball game at the White House in 2010, President Barack Obama, a fellow Chicagoan, was matched up against Noah and as good-natured trash-talk, told him “Where’d you get that shot? That’s the ugliest shot I’ve ever seen”. Despite his unusual shooting style, Noah averaged 70.0% from the free throw line for his career, just slightly below average for the NBA.
Personal life
Noah holds citizenships with the United States, France, and Sweden. His zodiac sign is Pisces.
In 2010, with his mother, an artist, Noah founded the Noah's Arc Foundation to help engage children with positive self-expression through arts and sports. The foundation has a special focus on at-risk youth in Chicago. As a registered United Nations non-governmental organization (NGO), in 2015 the Foundation was granted special consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Noah began dating Brazilian model Lais Ribeiro in July 2018. In September 2019, they became engaged at Burning Man. On July 13, 2022, Noah and Ribiero were married in Trancoso in her native country Brazil.
In June 2024, during his first Philippines visit, Noah served as a global liquor brand ambassador. He conducted an NBA Jr. clinic at the Gatorade Hoops Center and played pickup basketball with young Filipino talents in Mandaluyong. He also reminisced on his friendship with Lenny Cooke since his youth, who played with the PBA in the 2000s.
Awards
NCAA
2006 Associated Press (AP) All-SEC First Team
Named an Honorable Mention All-American by AP.
Most Outstanding Player in the 2006 Final Four
NCAA Division I men's basketball champion – 2006, 2007
NBA
2× NBA All-Star: 2013, 2014
NBA Defensive Player of the Year: 2014
All-NBA First Team: 2014
2× NBA All-Defensive First Team: 2013, 2014
NBA All-Defensive Second Team: 2011
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award: (2015)