Standing atop Utah’s Powder Mountain on a Tuesday afternoon in mid-March, Joakim Noah calls in for our scheduled Zoom interview while on a spring break family vacation with his kids. You can see the ski goggles resting on his forehead as he adjusts the phone in front of him while the sun shines in the background. He will only be on camera for a short time before deciding to go off camera as he finds himself in motion. He is so gracious that he happily takes a few minutes off of his family vacation just to call us as we rush to get our last issue off to the printers.
Even when he turns off his camera and despite being in the middle of vacation, you can hear the passion in Noah’s voice as he begins to talk excitedly about the various community initiatives he’s currently working on, whether it’s in Chicago or Africa. It’s been years since he’s been on an NBA court, but the enthusiasm he was known for for the former NBA All-Star and Player of the Year is always intact.
SLAM: Are there any new passions or hobbies you’ve found in retirement that you may not have discovered during your playing years or simply didn’t have the time to devote while in the NBA?
Joachim Noah Well, I’m not going to lie to you, I’m on top of a mountain now looking, I’m on a ski slope right now. I just skied for three hours with my kids. My nephew just came from Maui for the first time. He sees snow for the first time. When you play basketball in the NBA, you’re not allowed to do things like (ski). You don’t want to put yourself in a position to get hurt. So I’ve been skiing, that’s good. And just being able to travel and take time and not rush to get back into playing shape. It’s a different kind of training. (Now) you exercise for health. Training for health and training for a championship are completely different things. I think my nervous system appreciates it.
SLAM: Where is your skiing skill level?
JN: Skill level, I’d say I’m not comfortable going into heavy duty. I’m not going down any black slopes. Or even the blue slopes. I am very comfortable staying on the green field. You know, it’s seven feet, 260 pounds going down a slope. It’s a different animal.
SLAM: What new business ventures have you started?
JN: Being a contributor to the NBA Africa League, BAL, has been a real blessing because I’ve been able to travel across the continent and just really learn from the best in the business (President League of African Basketball) Amadou Gallo Fall and (NBA Deputy Commissioner) Mark Tatum. You know, taking a leadership role in NBA Africa and just starting from scratch on the continent and just watching this league blossom. We have just returned from South Africa. It was packed, it’s a different energy. And we’re just starting something that I’m really excited about.
SLAM: What is your ultimate goal with BAL? Where do you see it in 10 years?
JN: My ultimate goal is when you see African kids, for example, doing tween-tween hesi, then you know we’ve done something right. You haven’t seen African kids hess-hess yet, and it’s coming.
SLAM: There seems to be a lot of untapped basketball potential in Africa, plus a business model structure that will allow the league to flourish.
JN: There is definitely a structure to the business model. But the continent is home to 54 different countries and the fastest growing youth population in the world. So the math adds up. But it’s also understandable that when you play in the systems in America, you can play in a nice gym, you have your high school rival, you have your little girl friend who comes to watch you play, mom and dad come. watch how you play For example, these are all things that different places around the world don’t have. So the problem with Africa is the lack of it. this is not a sport that is part of African culture. So it’s really starting from scratch. And realizing that the issues are the lack of infrastructure and the lack of basketball education, even when it comes to refereeing, coaching.
A lot of people spend time and travel a lot and teach, (run) basketball and coaching clinics, clinics for referees. Just seeing how far growth has come in the last five years is simply amazing, but we still have a lot of work to do.
SLAM! How did you end up connecting with BAL?
JN: I think for me it was having a relationship with the president of BAL, Amadou Gallo Fall, who has been a dear friend of mine throughout my career. Even though he was the guy who was the scout for the Dallas Mavericks, (and) I never played with the Mavericks, (he was) just someone I always connected with. And I think that’s something I understand now that I’m done playing. You realize that when basketball is over, all you have in the end are your relationships and your memories. So I think it’s just important sometimes (remember) that there’s a lot of money involved and it’s so easy to get involved in the business. Just make sure you go beyond your terms and that you build strong, strong relationships and strong bonds.
SLAM: Are there some non-basketball endeavors you’re involved in that you might want to put on people’s radars?
JN: I think most of the work I do right now is basketball. The other initiative that I’m really excited about is this One City Basketball League that we’ve created in Chicago. We work with 28 violence prevention groups across the city and have at-risk youth play basketball against each other, receive state funding, and are able to build a basketball league that is much bigger than basketball. We have financial literacy courses, job education, job training and all that. Things are moving fast. I am really excited about the development of our One City Basketball League. We do special things. We’re really hoping we can grow it in other cities, and hopefully other League guys will be inspired and want to do something in their own neighborhoods. I truly feel that the future of this league could be a national program. I think it’s very important in our communities in America.
SLAM: You mentioned fatherhood earlier. How has fatherhood changed you as a person since you retired? How is Joachim Noah, the father, these days and what have you learned from your children?
JN: It teaches me that it’s never about me, especially when the kids are around you. When you play, sometimes you feel like it’s about you and the lights are on you. But my kids, I can be watching my favorite show on TV and they’ll immediately turn it off (and) put on Moana. They don’t care.
SLAM: What do you think about the current state of basketball? What are some trends or things you like about the game today? And what are some things you think could be improved?
JN: Well, I think the game is definitely more skillful. I think 1 in 15, even guys who are just getting into the game, are that good at basketball. I think that, obviously, the spaces are different. A lot of people stress (say that) there’s no defense and stuff like that, but I don’t think it’s the players’ fault. I think just the way the game is being reviewed, the way the game is, it’s completely different. They don’t let you hang out with boys. The game is much smoother because that’s what the game is called. It’s just less physical. And I think it’s just a lot of pressure on the defense when you can’t use your hands, those are all things that were part of the game even 10 years ago that they don’t let guys do anymore. So I don’t think it’s about guys wanting to play defense. I think that’s how it’s served.
SLAM: Is there something you haven’t had a chance to do or try, or maybe you just have?
Are you worried about looking back on your playing days and regretting not doing it?
JN: I think my mind would have wanted me to make a three-pointer. I think that would definitely help. But, you know, I was very old then. you set screens, you roll, and that was my role. That’s how the game was played. And what I tell the young guys all the time is it’s about trying to be as efficient as possible and try to influence the win. And when your mindset is trying to score points for yourself, I think it takes away from the ultimate goal, which is to win the ball. I don’t really talk much about Xs and Os, I don’t talk about technique because that’s never been my forte. My strength has always been being available to my teammates as much as possible and being a good teammate and doing whatever it takes to win a basketball game.
Photo via Getty Images.
