CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- Having retired from basketball, Bulls legend Joakim Noah has found something that eluded him for much of his playing career.
A little more day-to-day peace.
“My problem was always I couldn’t sleep after wins,” Noah said. “I was too excited. And when we lost, I would get depressed. I was an emotional roller coaster. I have a little more stability right now with that part of my life. But emotionally, it was a lot.”
Noah, 36, was back at the United Center on Thursday evening, when the Bulls honored him with an appreciation night that brought Noah’s family and old friends and teammates back to town and which sent the crowd into a frenzy during a series of in-game tributes. There was certainly plenty to cheer for.
A two-time All-Star and the 2014 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Noah was the heart and soul of the Bulls for the first nine of his 13 NBA seasons. He was the embodiment of a hard-working team that was a playoff regular and reached the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals after a 62-win regular season in a high-water mark of that era.
So why did those Noah-led teams resonate so much in Chicago?
“Because when the adversity hit, that’s when you see what people are made of,” Noah said. “And I think through our adversity, we fought. I think people respect that.”
While missing the competition and his teammates, Noah refused to characterize his transition to life after basketball as difficult. He understood it was time to retire after the Clippers waived him last winter, and he announced his intention to retire in March.
“A lot less anxiety,” Noah said in describing his life these days. “I sleep a lot better. I’m getting married this summer. I’m really excited about that. I’m taking my kids to school. It’s a slower pace. I love it. I have a lot of things, I have a lot of purpose. I work with my foundation. I’m really excited to be able to come back to Chicago and do some things to help here, to work with the Bulls on some initiatives to do well here, do some things for the kids. I’m working closely with NBA Africa as well and watching the development of basketball over there on the continent. I’m working with Luol (Deng). That’s something I’m really proud of as well.”
Part of Noah’s future will include the Bulls, who named him a team ambassador Thursday. In that role, Noah will “work with the organization to build relationships with people throughout Chicago and across Bulls Nation,” the team said in a press release. It will also mean Noah spends more time annually in Chicago, where his Noah’s Arc Foundation is also based. His foundation focuses on helping children by inspiring confidence and passion in them through art and sports.
“I feel like basketball, especially the Bulls, have given me an unbelievable platform,” Noah said. “Now I’m able to move to the next step.”
Derrick Rose (playing for the Knicks), Taj Gibson (playing for the Knicks), Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Brian Scalabrine, Nazr Mohammed, Mike Dunleavy, Omer Asik, Aaron Gray, Keith Bogans, Kurt Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha were among Noah’s former Bulls teammates in attendance at the United Center on Thursday.
Noah expressed great appreciation for their support during his pregame media session, including when he was asked whether he pondered if the Bulls would or will retire his jersey someday.
“I don’t,” Noah said. “I don’t think about it at all. To me, to have a moment where I see my little sisters smiling, I see my old teammates smiling, I see my mom proud, my dad flew in from Africa – I don’t get to see that much – and just to see how proud my family is of the journey and to have a moment with them like this, to me it was always about that part. It was always about bringing your people together and be able to share good times.
“Sometimes you got so caught up in winning and losing, the business and all that stuff, you realize that all you have in the end are your memories and your relationships, your friendships. So to see all the guys you battled with to come back, to make an effort to come back, it’s really special.”
Special is the best way to describe what Noah meant to the Bulls as well.
“I shot every bullet in my gun,” Noah said. “I have no regrets. I gave it everything I got.”
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.