Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah are two of the best Chicago Bulls players to suit up for this team since the turn of the century.
Two of the absolute biggest and most valuable stars to ever play for the Chicago Bulls in the last 15 years were center Joakim Noah and point guard Derrick Rose. They were largely the two stars that boosted the Bulls to the point of a true contender in the Eastern Conference for much of the early-to-mid 2010’s.
Noah was a two-time NBA All-Star selection, one-time All-NBA Team selection, three-time All-Defensive Team selection, and the 2013-14 Defensive Player of the Year award winner. He was the ninth overall pick of the Bulls, out of the Florida Gators basketball program, in the 2007 NBA Draft. He played for the Bulls for nine seasons before they sent him out to the New York Knicks during the 2016 offseason.
Moreover, Rose had a very accomplished career with the Bulls before all the knee injuries really started to take hold. He is a three-time NBA All-Star selection, 2008-09 Rookie of the Year award winner, one-time All-NBA Team selection, and the 2010-11 NBA MVP award winner. He also played for the Bulls for more than a half-decade prior to landing with the Knicks.
Recently in a piece with Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago, D-Rose opened up on the relationship between him and Noah. And he also shined a spotlight into his kid’s situation growing up in this day and age.
Here’s what this piece had to say on the matter.
"The closest teammate I’ve had-other than Randall in high school-was Joakim Noah, and that’s where Arthur Ashe comes in again. A lot of people don’t mess with Joakim because they think there’s some bad shit that comes with him or just how outspoken he is or whatever. For me, I can respect that, knowing everything about him, like for him to be who he is and act the way he is. It’s an amazing story behind it. I actually want my son PJ to grow up to be like Joakim. You know, a free spirit, a loving guy. Joakim loves people. He’s just a great role model. And his story is special.His pops was discovered by Arthur Ashe when he was just a kid-took him from their family and put him in school, a tennis school. So I’m asking Jo one day, “Your pops really knew Arthur Ashe?” I had played tennis and was pretty good and Arthur Ashe was such a hero if you were African American and played tennis, so off that, you got me. Joakim’s pop got put in school-they told his family he’d be taken care of and the family agreed to it. This is a stranger taking your kid, just historic."
There was a lot more to this piece than just the part where D-Rose talked about how he hopes that his son grows up “like Joakim”. But that is an important note since they were two significant teammates that obviously hold each other in high regard.
Those two are two of the most highly regarded Bulls players in the last two decades, and they also appear to have a really good relationship on and off the court. They had a relationship that stems a long way back too.
The last team that Noah played for was back during the 2018-19 regular season, where he had one last run with the Memphis Grizzlies. He has yet to sign with another team out of free agency since. And D-Rose is currently standing out for the Detroit Pistons, after a solid bounce back year with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season.