A Chat With Joakim Noah: How to Fix the Bulls? March Madness Memories, More

My background featured a blank wall with doors that peeked out to a sliver of exposed brick in my living room. It was a stark contrast from the view that rested on my screen: A bright blue sky with the occasional cartoon-like cloud and a scattering of palm trees.

Sitting in front of that scenic view was a long-bearded man in a backward baseball cap. He couldn't have looked or sounded more at peace, which felt fitting for the start of our conversation.

Joakim Noah has been plenty busy since his NBA retirement in 2021. Whether it be getting married, starting an anti-violence basketball league, or hosting a new travel show, the former Chicago Bulls legend always has something going on. And his latest project comes at a very fitting time.

With March Madness set to tip off later this month, Noah has announced a partnership with BetterHelp. The "Mind Over Madness" campaign will donate 1,000 hours of free therapy before adding 10 hours for every assist made in the NCAA Tournament. BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy resource, and they are setting out alongside Noah to remind everyone that being at your best doesn't happen alone.

"When BetterHelp came knocking on the door, I knew this was something really important," Noah said. "Young people, we all need, help. We all need therapy. Being able to have an app or structure to be able to help these kids through tough times, being able to have conversations, whether it's a pep talk or just somebody that you can bounce ideas off. I think that's something very powerful. So when this opportunity came to work to partner with BetterHelp I think it was just a no-brainer. It made so much sense, and our young people need it."

Of course, few athletes are more familiar with the pressure that can come during such a high-stakes event as the NCAA Tournament. Noah made history as part of the Florida Gators by winning back-to-back titles in the mid-2000s before being selected by the Chicago Bulls with the No. 9 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. It's why serving as the face of BetterHelp's latest campaign makes plenty of sense, and it also felt like a natural starting point for the rest of our conversation.

Below is a transcription of my recent chat with Noah. We discussed everything from his March Madness history to how he believes the Chicago Bulls organization can get back on track. Let's dive in.

Joakim Noah's Conversation with On SI

Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls — Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Former NBA player Joakim Noah looks on during the first half between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

ES: Few players are as familiar with winning in March as you are. So, when you look back at that experience, having all the basketball experience that you have now and even traveling the world, what do you think it was about those Florida teams that were so successful? It's never just talent, right? What were the other attributes that made those Florida teams so special?"

JN: Obviously, we had a lot of talent on those teams, but we were also roommates. The core group of that team came in together. And I remember when we came in our freshman year, we always wanted to play together. Even when we were playing pickup, usually you take the freshmen and you put them in with the seniors or the younger guys. We wanted to play together from the start. And we were even kicking some serious a** as freshmen.

So it's something that I'm really, really proud of. People always underestimate in a game where guys are getting paid individually, chemistry is something we never took for granted. Even when we had an opportunity to leave after the first championship to go to the NBA, we decided to stay and play basketball together. It's something I'm really proud of. It's before NIL. It's before players got paid. We decided to stay because we loved to play basketball together.

This is just a quick fun one: Do you remember the highest-scoring game you had in either tournament?

[pausing to think]

I'm not sure what my highest-scoring game was in the tournament. I just remember how balanced our scoring was as a team. We all knew what our strengths and our weaknesses were. When I look back on this, I just think about how Lee Humphrey would just hit big three after big three, and Taurean being the floor general that he was, and Al Horford just the balance he gave our team as the captain. I think those guys, they definitely elevated me to go out there and play my game. I don't remember what the most points I scored were, but I remember the confidence I felt going into battle with those guys."

I do have it. I did look. It was 21 points, 15 rebounds in the Elite 8 against Villanova.

That was a good one! That was a good one!

You had six block in a game, do you remember that one? It was a big one!

[pausing to think again]

Jeez, that was 20 years ago. Jeez, man.

It was the national championship against UCLA.

Oh, that's right! Thank you for telling me. Thank you.

I'm with a Chicago outlet, so obviously I got to switch gears to Chicago and the Bulls. You're still around the community here quite a bit – recently in town for Derrick's jersey retirement ceremony. What do you think it is about this city that you have specifically connected so well with over the years? You keep coming back. You stay so involved. What is it about Chicago for you that you connect with?

For me personally, Chicago gave me so much. I'm so proud of those teams. Last night, I was at dinner with Drew Gooden and Keith Bogans, and to be able to call, obviously Derrick is a brother to me, but all the other guys are my brothers, as well. And when you're done playing, all you have are your friendships and your memories. Just to go back and just to hear guys talk about how special it was to suit up together, especially wearing that Bulls jersey, it's something that I'll never forget.

I love the city of Chicago. I love the way people have shown me love and embraced me. Obviously, Derrick is so Chicago himself, so every time he suited up and tied up those shoes, you wanted to represent for him as much as possible because he was the hometown kid. It made us play that much harder I think. What an honor to represent and wear that jersey."

Going back to the amount of winning you have experienced in your career. The Bulls organization over the last handful of years has been caught in this cycle. This last decade, they have struggled to find consistent success in the postseason. You were part of a group that started in that middle ground. You were 33 wins your first year, then 41, then you're growing. You get to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the team is so successful. Every team is different. Every situation is different. But what are some of those non-negotiables that an organization needs to turn things around – to break out of this cycle that they're in and other teams can find themselves in?

Tough question. For us personally, sometimes it takes a little luck. We ended up having a .500 season, and we were a middle-of-the-pack team. There was like a one percent chance for us to get the No. 1 pick and we get Derrick Rose with the first pick. So, I think drafting the right way is really important, especially right now. I think it's very important to have a coach that makes sure the guys don't lose their faith in what you're building. Look, I know coach Donovan very well. This is who I had my success with in college. Somebody I consider like another father figure. I think he's a guy the players really respect.

But it's tough. I know losing on that stage is the worst. The success and winning is unbelievable, but the losing is – I remember the losing more than I remember the winning. It's traumatizing. So I think for me it's not losing faith, staying focused, and disciplined on what you need to do. And I think that's when you show your real professionalism.

When things are tough, the team is maybe not good enough to win at a high level right now, but the work stays the same. When you win or you lose, you still have to wake up, and you still have to be on that squat rack the next day and max out. Obviously, it's a lot easier when you have a shot to win a championship than when you lost ten in a row. So shoutout to the guys over there. I know this stings, and it hurts. It's supposed to hurt, and if it doesn't, you have a problem. So, wishing the guys nothing but the best, and hopefully we get some good draft picks and things turn around."

Last thing for me: Noa Essengue is a Frenchman. I think the team shared a video of you meeting with him earlier this season. I was just curious what are your impressions of him? Did you know much about him beforehand? What do you think he can bring to the floor? Just your point of view.

My best friend is also my agent and represents Noa, as well. I got to know him a little bit before the draft. And, obviously, his name is Noa and he is French, but the craziest part about the Noa Essengue thing is he's also from the same village as me in Cameroon. So he's a mixed kid like me. His roots are French and Cameroonian from Etoudi, the same village that we're from.

Somebody whose skillset is very very interesting. When I met him, I just couldn't believe he was so young. The sky is the limit. He just has to stay focused and stay disciplined. I know being in your first year not getting too many minutes [is tough], but just watching how he plays the game, the stability he plays the game with, left hand, right hand, he can shoot the three. He's got a pretty special skillset. So, it's going to be very interesting to watch him develop and watch him play in the future.

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