Joakim Noah’s basketball career started during his teenage years. He played for the Florida Gators in college winning the NCCA Championship consecutively in 2006 and 2007. Ranked 9th during the 2007 NBA draft, this bloke got listed on the All-NBA First Team in 2014; that’s not all, Joakim Noah was equally honored as the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Early Life and Rise to Fame
Born in New York City on 25th February 1985, Joakim kicked off his career during his high school days. He attended the Poly Prep Country Day School, the United Nations International School, and Lawrenceville School where he proved himself to be a talented basketballer.
At 19, he was named the No. 75 national player and No.19 power forward. Joakim Noah got admitted into the University of Florida on an athletic scholarship and played on the basketball team till 2007. The basketball player made his debut during his freshman year in 2004/05 and averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. In his sophomore year, he led his team with 14.2 points and made 2.4 blocks per game playing at the center position.
After leading his team (the Gators) to victory in 2006 at the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship Game which was also his school’s first NCAA basketball championship, he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
He was selected in the 2007 NBA draft to commence his professional career with the Chicago Bulls. Although he made his debut for the team from the bench due to a sprained ankle, his outstanding performances in subsequent matches landed him a five-year contract extension which he signed on the 4th of October 2010. At the expiration of his contract with the Bulls, he was signed by the New York Knicks and has been blazing for the team since then. He played against the Bulls on November 4th, 2016, and the game ended in a 117-104 win for his side.
Joakim got to face disciplinary actions on 25th March 2017 when he got suspended for 20 games for failing to comply with the NFA’s anti-drug policy. His suspension is said to encroach into the first games of the 2017/2018 season. In April 2018, the player encountered further challenges in his career as he sustained an injury on his shoulder which is said to require surgery. He will get to play again after about 4-6 months when he is expected to recover.
Joakim Noah Sister, Mom, and Dad
Joakim Noah’s sister Yelena gained much popularity after she was caught live on national tv celebrating with her brother in 2013 when his team beat the Nets in the NBA’s first-round playoffs.
Yelena who became the next big thing after the exposure started getting offers from diverse modeling companies in Chicago, her pictures flooded the internet and she even did a Pepsi commercial with New York Giant’s Victor Cruz. She is also a talented painter, designer, and jewelry maker who has used her craft to inspire many through her family’s foundation.
If one had any question about Joakim’s success as an athlete, the answer is not far-fetched as he obviously took after his father. The basketballer was born to a father (Yannick Noah) who is a former world tennis player. Check the records, you will find that the man is the proud winner of the French Open in 1983. On the other hand, his mother Cécilia Rodhe won the Miss Sweden beauty pageant in 1978 and was the fourth runner-up at the Miss Universe event of the same year.
Cécilia Rodhe and her son founded the Noah’s Arc Foundation in 2010. The essence of the charity organization is to help kids, especially the youths at risk in Chicago to express themselves positively through arts and sports
Wife or Girlfriend, Is The NBA Star Married?
Taking a look at the player’s marital status one would find that he is unmarried. But then, he is dating an estate broker and event planner in New York named Leticia Busso. Leticia is said to be a close friend of famous Canadian singer, songwriter, and actress Avril Lavigne.
Height – How Tall Is Joakim Noah?
The athlete is truly endowed with a gigantic height of 2.11 m which is about 6 ft 11 inches. He approximately weighs 230 lb.
