Photo : Keith Allison, CC BY-SA 2.0
Joakim Noah
The tireless defender of the Chicago Bulls
Born in 1985
Cameroonian roots : Born in New York, the son of tennis player Yannick Noah and the Swedish CĂ©cilia Rodhe; his paternal grandfather, Zacharie Noah, was a Cameroonian footballer.
Who are they?
A centre born in New York in 1985. At the University of Florida he won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007, before being picked ninth in the 2007 draft by the Chicago Bulls.
What made them famous
An energetic, defence-first player, he became a mainstay of the Bulls. In 2014 he was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year and selected to the All-NBA First Team.
Key facts
- Two All-Star selections, in 2013 and 2014.
- A France international, he played at EuroBasket 2011, where France reached the final.
- His Noahâs Arc Foundation supports young people through sport and the arts, in Chicago and in YaoundĂ©.
- He announced his retirement on 1 March 2021, after thirteen NBA seasons.