Joakim Noah facts for kids

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Joakim Noah

Noah with the Chicago Bulls in 2011

Chicago Bulls

Team ambassador

Personal information

Born

February 25, 1985 (age 40)
Manhattan, New York, U.S.

Nationality

French / Swedish / American

High school

United Nations International
(New York City, New York)
Poly Prep
(Brooklyn, New York)
The Lawrenceville School
(Lawrenceville, New Jersey)

Listed height

6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)

Listed weight

232 lb (105 kg)

Career information

College

Florida (2004–2007)

NBA Draft

2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall

Selected by the Chicago Bulls

Pro career

2007–2020

League

NBA

Career history

2007–2016

Chicago Bulls

2016–2018

New York Knicks

2017

→Westchester Knicks

2018–2019

Memphis Grizzlies

2020

Los Angeles Clippers

Career highlights and awards

2× NBA All-Star (2013, 2014)
All-NBA First Team (2014)
NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2014)
2× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2013, 2014)
NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2011)
2× NCAA champion (2006, 2007)
NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (2006)
Consensus second-team All-American (2007)

Career NBA statistics

Points

5,881 (8.8 ppg)

Rebounds

6,058 (9.0 rpg)

Blocks

874 (1.3 bpg)

Medals

Men's basketball

Representing France
EuroBasket
Silver	2011 Lithuania	Team

Joakim Simon Noah (born February 25, 1985) is a famous former professional basketball player. He was born in New York, U.S. He also holds French and Swedish citizenship.

Noah played college basketball for the Florida Gators. He helped them win two NCAA championships in a row. The Chicago Bulls picked him ninth in the 2007 NBA draft. During his NBA career, Noah was chosen for the NBA All-Star team twice. He was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2014.

Early Life and Family

Joakim Simon Noah was born on February 25, 1985. His birthplace was Manhattan, New York. His father is Yannick Noah, a famous French singer and former tennis star. Yannick won the French Open in 1983. Joakim's mother is Cécilia Rodhe, who was Miss Sweden.

His grandfather, Zacharie Noah, was also a professional athlete. He was a football player from Cameroon. Zacharie won the Coupe de France in 1961. Joakim lived in Paris, France, from age 3 to 13. Then he moved back to New York City.

He started playing youth basketball in Paris. He played for the French club Levallois Sporting Club. In high school, he played basketball for three different schools. These were the United Nations International School, Poly Prep Country Day School, and The Lawrenceville School.

College Basketball Career

Noah during Midnight Madness with Sha Brooks during a 3-point shootout (October 13, 2006)

Noah earned a scholarship to the University of Florida. He played for the Florida Gators men's basketball team from 2004 to 2007. During his first year, he played a small role. He averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

In his second year (2005–06), Noah became a key player. He led his team in points and blocks. He also ranked second in rebounds. At first, he was not expected to be a top draft pick. But his performance improved a lot. He helped the Gators win the NCAA championship in 2006.

Noah was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2006 Final Four. In the championship game, he scored 16 points and had 9 rebounds. He also blocked 6 shots, which was a record for a championship game.

After winning in 2006, Noah and his teammates decided to stay for another year. They wanted to win again. The Gators went on to win the NCAA championship in 2007. This made them back-to-back champions. Noah played a big part in their second win too.

Professional Basketball Career

Chicago Bulls (2007–2016)

Early Years (2007–2012)

The Chicago Bulls picked Joakim Noah ninth overall in the 2007 NBA draft. Two of his Florida teammates were also picked very high. This made them the highest-picked trio from the same college in NBA history.

Noah played his first regular season game on November 6, 2007. He had a challenging start with the team. He faced a suspension early in his first season.

Noah with the Bulls in February 2009

In the 2008–09 season, Noah averaged 6.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. He played a big role in a playoff game against the Boston Celtics. In the third overtime, he stole the ball and scored a dunk. This helped the Bulls win the game.

For the 2009–10 season, Noah averaged 10.7 points and 11.0 rebounds. He missed some games due to an injury. The Bulls made the playoffs again. But they lost in the first round.

On October 4, 2010, Noah signed a new contract with the Bulls. He then had surgery on his hand in December 2010. This made him miss several weeks of games. He returned in February 2011.

Noah with the Bulls in February 2011, playing against Kevin Séraphin of the Washington Wizards

On February 22, 2012, Noah achieved his first triple-double. This means he had double-digit numbers in three different stats. He scored 13 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and made 10 assists. This was the first triple-double by a Bulls center since 1977.

First All-Star Selection (2012–2013)

On December 7, 2012, Noah had a career-best game. He scored 30 points and grabbed 23 rebounds. On December 18, 2012, he got his second triple-double. He had 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.

In January 2013, Noah was chosen for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game. He was the first Bulls center to be an All-Star since 1982. On February 28, 2013, he got his third triple-double. He scored 23 points, had 21 rebounds, and blocked a career-high 11 shots.

Defensive Player of the Year (2013–2014)

From December 2013 to February 2014, Noah had a great streak. He had 10 or more rebounds in 18 games in a row. On January 30, 2014, he was named an All-Star for the second time.

On February 11, 2014, Noah recorded his fourth triple-double. He had 19 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists. He also showed his passing skills. On February 19, 2014, he made 13 assists in a game. This was a lot for a center.

On March 2, 2014, Noah got his fifth triple-double. He had 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists. His 14 assists were the most ever by a Bulls center. Three days later, he got another triple-double. He finished March with 120 assists, which was amazing for a center.

On April 21, 2014, Noah won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. He was the second Chicago Bull to win it, after Michael Jordan. He was also the first French player to win this award. In June 2014, he was also named to the All-NBA First Team.

Final Years in Chicago (2014–2016)

On January 27, 2015, Noah had a season-best game. He scored 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. His averages for the season were lower than before.

In the 2015–16 season, Noah started coming off the bench. He had been a starter before. On December 19, he started a game and scored a season-high 21 points. He also became the Bulls' all-time leader in offensive rebounds. In December, he injured his left shoulder. He needed surgery and missed the rest of the season.

New York Knicks (2016–2018)

Noah with the Knicks in 2017

On July 8, 2016, Noah signed a four-year contract with the New York Knicks. This was his hometown team. In February 2017, he had surgery on his left knee.

In March 2017, Noah was suspended for 20 games. This was because he used a banned substance found in a supplement he took for injuries. He said he did not know it was in the supplement. In April 2017, he needed surgery for a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder.

Noah returned to play for the Knicks in November 2017. He also played one game for the Westchester Knicks in the NBA G League. In January 2018, Noah had a disagreement with his coach. He played only seven games during the 2017–18 season.

On October 13, 2018, the Knicks released Noah from his contract.

Memphis Grizzlies (2018–2019)

On December 4, 2018, Noah signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. On February 9, 2019, he had season highs of 19 points and 14 rebounds. On February 22, 2019, he scored 22 points and had 11 rebounds.

Los Angeles Clippers (2020)

On March 9, 2020, Noah signed a short contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. He signed a longer contract in June. In December 2020, the Clippers released him.

Noah announced his retirement from basketball in March 2021. On October 28, 2021, the Chicago Bulls honored Noah. They named him an ambassador for the team.

National Team Career

Noah (right) guarding Pau Gasol while playing for France in EuroBasket 2011.

Joakim Noah has citizenship in the United States, France, and Sweden. He chose to play for the senior French national team. He said he always wanted to represent France.

He first played for France on July 24, 2009. He scored 16 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in a friendly game. Noah then joined the French team for EuroBasket 2011.

He did not play for the French Olympic team in the 2012 London Olympics. This was because of a serious ankle injury he had during the 2012 NBA playoffs. He needed time to recover.

Personal Life

In 2010, Joakim Noah and his mother started the Noah's Arc Foundation. This group helps children express themselves through art and sports. It especially focuses on young people in Chicago who are at risk.

Noah began dating Brazilian model Lais Ribeiro in 2018. They got engaged in 2019. On July 13, 2022, Noah and Ribeiro got married in Brazil.

In June 2024, Noah visited the Philippines. He led a basketball clinic for young Filipino players. He also played pickup games with them.

Awards and Achievements

College Awards

2006 AP All-SEC First Team
Most Outstanding Player in the 2006 Final Four
NCAA Division I men's basketball champion – 2006, 2007

NBA Awards

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

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2007–08	Chicago	74	31	20.7	.482	.000	.691	5.6	1.1	.9	.9	6.6
2008–09	Chicago	80	55	24.2	.556	.000	.676	7.6	1.3	.6	1.4	6.7
2009–10	Chicago	64	54	30.1	.504	—	.744	11.0	2.1	.5	1.6	10.7
2010–11	Chicago	48	48	32.8	.525	.000	.764	10.4	2.2	1.0	1.5	11.7
2011–12	Chicago	64	64	30.4	.508	.000	.748	9.8	2.5	.6	1.4	10.2
2012–13	Chicago	66	64	36.8	.481	.000	.751	11.1	4.0	1.2	2.1	11.9
2013–14	Chicago	80	80	35.3	.475	.000	.737	11.3	5.4	1.2	1.5	12.6
2014–15	Chicago	67	67	30.6	.445	.000	.603	9.6	4.7	.7	1.1	7.2
2015–16	Chicago	29	2	21.9	.383	.000	.489	8.8	3.8	.6	1.0	4.3
2016–17	New York	46	46	22.1	.490	.000	.436	8.8	2.2	.7	.8	5.0
2017–18	New York	7	0	5.7	.500	—	.500	2.0	.6	.3	.3	1.7
2018–19	Memphis	42	1	16.5	.516	.000	.716	5.7	2.1	.5	.7	7.1
2019–20	L.A. Clippers	5	0	10.0	.500	.000	.750	3.2	1.4	.2	.2	2.8
Career		672	512	27.7	.491	.000	.700	9.0	2.8	.8	1.3	8.8
All-Star		2	0	18.5	.667	.000	.000	7.5	4.0	.5	.5	8.0

NBA Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2009	Chicago	7	7	38.7	.510	—	.760	13.1	2.3	.9	2.1	10.1
2010	Chicago	5	5	36.6	.528	—	.947	13.0	2.6	1.8	1.4	14.8
2011	Chicago	16	16	33.1	.411	—	.725	10.2	2.5	1.0	2.1	8.7
2012	Chicago	3	3	33.0	.731	—	.636	9.3	3.0	.7	1.3	15.0
2013	Chicago	12	12	34.1	.437	—	.641	9.6	2.3	.8	2.2	10.8
2014	Chicago	5	5	42.0	.512	—	.588	12.8	4.6	.8	1.4	10.4
2015	Chicago	12	12	32.9	.408	—	.650	11.0	3.2	.8	1.2	5.8
2020	L.A. Clippers	2	0	1.0	—	—	—	.0	.0	.0	.0	.0
Career		62	60	33.9	.465	—	.676	10.6	2.7	.9	1.7	9.3

NBA G League Regular Season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2017-18	Westchester	1	1	23.0	.800	—	1.000	5.0	4.0	1.0	1.0	9.0

College Statistics

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2004–05	Florida	29	0	9.4	.600	—	.577	2.5	.5	.2	.7	3.5
2005–06	Florida	39	38	24.9	.627	.000	.733	7.1	2.1	1.1	2.4	14.2
2006–07	Florida	40	40	25.9	.607	1.000	.663	8.4	2.3	1.1	1.8	12.0
Career		108	78	21.1	.616	.500	.684	6.4	1.7	.9	1.7	10.5