Joakim Noah Quotes

United States, Basketball Player
February 25, 1985

Joakim Simon Noah (/ˈdʒoʊəkɪm/ JOH-ə-kim; born February 25, 1985) is a professional basketball player. 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 First Team in 2014 when he also was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

I go back to Africa every year. I have a home there. You know, my grandfather lives back there in Cameroon.

Joakim Noah
- Home
Uh? They don't like me over here, either.

Joakim Noah
- Like
- Here
- Don't Like

Throughout my journey in basketball, I always have someone to talk to in my father. I know how hard he had to work as an athlete.

Joakim Noah
- Work
- Father
- Journey
It's really important to have balance, spend some time in nature, go to a few parties, enjoy my friends and really chill out.

Joakim Noah
- Time
- Important
- Friends
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.

Joakim Noah
- Up
- Today
- Growing
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.

Joakim Noah
- Different
- Art
- May
All my best friends live downtown in New York City. I was made in Soho.

Joakim Noah
- Live
- Friends
- City
I learned a lot from my father. I'm very lucky to have a father who was a professional athlete.

Joakim Noah

I don't know about this place, man. I just stayed in my hotel room, man. Every time I look out my window, it's pretty depressing out here, man. It's bad, it's bad. No. No going out in Cleveland, man. It's all factories.

Joakim Noah
- Time
- Bad
- Pretty
I would go on summer vacations visiting family all over the world.

Joakim Noah
- World
- Family
- Summer
I feel like when I play, I play tough. That's the New York in me. That's the street tournaments.

Joakim Noah
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.

Joakim Noah
Not at all. You like it? Do you think Cleveland's cool? I mean, I've never heard anybody say 'I'm going to Cleveland on vacation.' What's so good about Cleveland?

Joakim Noah
- Good
- Cool
- Vacation