The Story of Joakim Noah and Billy Donovan’s undying bond – The Athletic

Joakim Noah stole Billy Donovan’s heart 17 years ago.

It was April 2004. Noah was in his final year of prep school. Donovan is coaching at the University of Florida.

The Gators were disqualified a month after a nasty loss to Manhattan in Game 5-12 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. When the recruiting period opened, Donovan couldn’t believe what he encountered while visiting Noah. The coach wanted to give his upcoming center a brief talk about bringing the right mentality to colleges. Noah had other ideas.

Donovan said: “He was really upset and bothered the way we lost. “And I was brought back. This guy didn’t invest a single second with our team. No practice with our team. And you could tell that he was devastated by the loss. It really had an impact on me how much he cares about winning and how important it is to him. “

Months later, Donovan experienced a second memorable moment.

“When he goes to school,” Donovan said, “and he puts on a white coat and walks around.”

In short, it is Bulls Joakim Noah legend, deeply passionate, fiercely competitive, unorthodox humor but always, always authentic.

Noah, 36, officially retired in March after 13 seasons, his first nine coming in Chicago. The Bulls drafted him ninth overall in 2007, and from the start, fans fell in love with “Jo” for the same reasons. They watched as he got into the Bulls’ pulse, pouring his soul into the city and leaving all he had on the field each night while helping the franchise achieve its most successful era since Michael Jordan.