Joakim Noah
Joakim Noah
Joakim Simon Noahis a professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association. Born in New York City to a Swedish mother and a French father, he holds American, Swedish and French citizenship. He 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...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAthlete
Date of Birth25 February 1985
CountryUnited States of America
All my best friends live downtown in New York City. I was made in Soho.
As a basketball player this is your dream -- to play in the national championship game. It's just such a great feeling that it's finally here. There's been so much hard work and so much sacrifice. There's so many moments that I can go back to -- being a little kid, walking to practice. Now I'm finally playing in the game.
It is great to do this in front of family.
I go back to Africa every year. I have a home there. You know, my grandfather lives back there in Cameroon.
I always give respect to and pay homage to New York, because I don't feel like I would be the player that I am today if it wasn't for New York City. It gives you a certain edge, a certain toughness just growing up in the city.
Cinderella story or not - to me, honestly, I don't care. Does being (a Cinderella team) help you win basketball games at all? I don't know.
Being from New York, everybody's a point guard. Even when you play in the park, you've got to know how to handle the ball. If you can't handle the ball, you can't really play.
His girlfriend is like 30 years old. He goes to clubs. The last time I was out with him, I couldn't keep up.
Art is interesting because there can be so many different perspectives in a piece of art. The way I see it may be completely different than the way somebody else sees it. It's interesting to hear what somebody sees in a piece of art compared to somebody else. It could be completely different, and that's interesting to me.
I remember skipping school a few times to go watch the Big East tournament (at Madison Square Garden).
I love Puerto Rico. I'm from everywhere. I represent for everybody.
After the game we will probably talk, but right now he's the enemy. I'm not really worried about showing him any love right now.
I don't know if that's what will be talked about, but that's what should be talked about. I think (Moss) is what this team stands for. Everybody sacrificed to get to this point, and I don't think anybody sacrificed more than Adrian Moss, being a starter as a junior and playing a limited role on the court (as a senior) but still being our leader.
I learned a lot from my father. I'm very lucky to have a father who was a professional athlete.