Joakim Noah never won a title in Chicago, but he’s beloved like a champ – The Athletic

On Tuesday night, Tom Thibodeau became wistful when he mentioned Joakim Noah.

Yes, ol’ Thibs have a soft side.

“He was an emotional guy,” Thibodeau said of Noah. “I love him, I fought with him. I love him, I fought with him. And now he’s a close friend.”

Can anyone imagine hearing Thibs utter the word “dear friend” about anything other than his first movie projector?

More than any other player on the list, Noah headbutts Thibodeau. But one thing I noticed after Thibodeau was sacked is that his former players appreciate him more. Some of them may have grown tired of Thibodeau’s exacting style, but once they played for poor coaches they realized how well they did, the movie sessions. marathon and all.

“It can be the best part of coaching is the afterlife when there is mutual appreciation,” Thibodeau said in a lengthy reply about Noah after Knicks‘win 76ers Tuesday.

“Thibs is the best coach I have because he is exactly what I need,” Noah told ESPN’s Nick Friedell recently.

NS Bulls will honor Noah in their game against the Thibodeau’s Knicks, which includes Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson, on Thursday, an occasion made all the more special by the teams’ record.