NEWSLETTER
When the Los Angeles Clippers waived Joakim Noah on December 1st, 2020, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that it would likely mark the end of the big man’s NBA career.
Now, three months later, The Athletic’s Shams Charania has officially announced Noah’s retirement, along with one perfectly awesome tidbit of news: Noah plans to retire as a Bull.
13-year NBA center Joakim Noah — a two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year winner — is effectively retiring from basketball, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Plan is for the longtime Chicago star to eventually retire as a Bull.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 1, 2021
I don’t think any of us are surprised by this news, but that doesn’t mean I’m not happy as hell to see it in a tweet. There is no other way for Noah’s career to end than by returning to the place where it all started for a proper send-off. Not to mention, when we factor in that his former college coach who he won two national championships with is now at the helm of the team, it feels that much more necessary.
I’m not exactly sure when we’ll see Noah sign the papers, but I do hope he and the organization can push this off until fans are back in the picture. Noah deserves a 5-minute standing ovation from a jam-packed United Center before officially calling it a quits. Then, once all the tears are shed, he can walk back to his coaching seat on the Bulls bench. Make it happen, Billy.
