Joakim Simon Noah is a former French-American professional basketball player who played in the NBA for 13 seasons. He is currently serving as the team ambassador for the Chicago Bulls.
Joakim, aka Jo, started his NBA career with the Bulls after being drafted in the 2007 NBA draft and also played with New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Los Angeles Clippers.
Although failing to win any championships throughout his NBA career, he was named NBA All-Star twice, All-NBA First Team once, NBA Defensive Player of the Year, NBA All-Defensive First Team twice, and NBA All-Defensive Second Team once.
Besides, the former player also represented his country and aided his team in bagging silver at the EuroBasket.
Let’s learn more about this French national, how he started his NBA career, his early days, and some personal details.
Here are some quick facts about Joakim Noah you might want to know.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Joakim Simon Noah |
| Date of Birth | February 25, 1985 |
| Age | 39 Years Old |
| Birth Place | New York City, New York |
| Nickname | Jo, Stick stickity |
| Religion | N/A |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed (French, Swedish, and Black) |
| Education | United Nations International School, Poly Prep Country Day School, the Lawrenceville School, and the University of Florida |
| Father’s Name | Yannick Noah |
| Mother’s Name | Cécilia Rodhe |
| Siblings | 4 (Jénayé, Joalukas, Yélena, and Eleejah Noah) |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Height | 6’11″/2.11 m/211 cm |
| Weight | 105 kg/232 lb. |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Build | Athlete |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Lais Ribeiro (m. 2022) |
| Children | 2 |
| Profession | Basketball player |
| Professional Career Teams | Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers |
| Position | Team ambassador |
| Drafted In | 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th Overall |
| League | NBA |
| Playing Career | 2007 – 2021 |
| Net Worth | $50 million |
| Salary | $6.4 million |
| Merch | Jersey |
| Social Media | Twitter, Instagram |
| Last Update | March 2024 |
Early Life, Family, And Education
Joakim Simon Noah was born in Manhattan, New York, to his parents, Yannick Noah and Cécilia Rodhe, on February 25, 1985.
His mother is a former Miss Sweden and fourth runner-up at Miss Universe 1978. His father is a former world no. 3 tennis player, 1983 French Open winner, and singer.
Moving on, his grandfather, Zacharie Noah, was a Cameroonian professional football player who won the Coupe de France in 1961.
He grew up with his four siblings, a brother named Joalukas and three sisters named Yélena, Jénayé, and Eleejah.
One of Noah’s sisters, Yélena, became a modeling star after he shared a moment with his sister when the Bulls beat the Nets in the 2013 NBA Playoffs.
In 1988, Noah moved to Paris, France, with his family but returned to New York City at 13.
Noah did his schooling at three different high schools; United Nations International School, Poly Prep Country Day School, and Lawrenceville School.
Age, Height, And Weight
Being born in the year 1985 makes Jo 39 years old as of 2024.
The former basketball player stands tall at 6 feet and 11 inches (2.11 meters) and weighs around 105 kg (232 pounds).
His Body Mass Index (BMI) is 23.7, which is healthy for him. Moreover, Noah’s tall stature makes it easy to compete with the best players in the NBA.
Basketball Career
College Career
Noach accepted an athletic scholarship in 2004 from the University of Florida and started his college basketball journey with the Florida Gators men’s basketball team.
He played under coach Billy Donovan for the Gators from 2004 to 2007.
In his freshman season, Noah played 9.4 minutes per game, averaging 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Jo’s collegiate career did not start well, but Noah replaced Al Horford during his sophomore season as a center. After changing his position from power forward to center, he led his team averaging 14.2 points and 2.4 blocks per game.
The former Gators center’s form kept improving, and by the end of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, he declared for the 2006 NBA draft.
However, Noah stayed with his team for the junior season, which resulted in a good season as the Florida Gators won the national championship in 2006-07.
Noah led his Gators over top-seeded Villanova in the final game and earned the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) of the NCAA Tournament’s Minneapolis Regional. He recorded 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
The Gators faced the UCLA Bruins for the NCAA basketball championship, where he scored 16 points, nine rebounds, and six blocks. Noah was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
Noah, with his perfect free throws, and offensive and defensive plays, led the Gators to their second championship in two years.
Rookie Season
In the 2007 NBA draft, Noah was drafted as the 9th overall pick by the Chicago Bulls. Noah and his teammates from Florida, Corey Brewer and Al Horford, were the highest-picked trios of the same college in NBA history.
Noah made his season debut by coming off the bench and scoring 2 points and four rebounds. Unfortunately, he was suspended by a unanimous vote from his teammates in January.
Noah notched 6.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in the 2008-09 season. In the 2009-10 season, the former NBA center only played 64 games due to an injury.
However, he averaged 10.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in the regular season, and 14.8 points and 13.0 rebounds per game in the playoffs.
Unfortunately, Noah’s playoff journey ended after his team’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jo played two impressive seasons with the Bulls, which saw him sign a five-year contract extension worth $60 million on October 4, 2010.
The following season did not go well for Noah as he suffered ligament damage in his hand, which required surgery, and then stayed off the pitch for ten weeks.
However, in February, he returned to his duty for the Bulls and scored 7 points with 16 rebounds in just over 24 minutes.
Noah scored 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, the first triple-double by a Bulls player since Artis Gilmore in 1977 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Proceeding With Chicago Bulls
The 2012-13 season saw Noah achieve many things in the NBA as he recorded his career-high of 30 points and 23 rebounds against the Detroit Lions.
And he got his second career double in a win over the Boston Celtics that included ten assists.
He was named in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game reserves, the first for a Bulls player since 1982. Despite playing just 16 minutes, he scored 8 points with ten rebounds.
Jo became one of the few payers to secure a triple-double of 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocks among greats like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shawn Bradley, and Elvin Hayes.
He achieved this feat, becoming the only player to shoot 65% from the field.
In the 2013-14 season, Noah had a streak of 18 games of 10 or more rebounds, averaging 13.9 rebounds.
Jo was named in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game reserve and aided in the East win, scoring 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists playing 21 minutes in the game.
He broke the record for being the first player since Brad Miller to have 10+ assists in 3 games and the only player with 13 assists since Vlade Divac in April 1996.
The former Bulls recorded his fifth career triple-double (13-12-14) in a win over the Knicks. His 14 assists were the most ever by a Bulls center and the most by a center in the NBA since 1986.
His sixth triple-double came in a win over the Detroit Pistons and he finished the month of March (2014) with 120 assists.
For the first time in his career, Noah was awarded the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and became the second player since Michael Jordon to win the award for the Bulls. Noah was also the first Frenchman to be honored with this award.
Noah finished the 2013-14 season fourth in MVP voting and was named to the 2014 All-NBA first team.
Last Season With The Bulls
Noah’s final season with the Bulls was not the best for him as he came off the bench in the first 12 games and lost his starting position to Nikola Mirotić.
However, in his first game as a starter that season, he scored a season-high 21 points and 10 rebounds and became the career leader on the offensive board of the Bulls, surpassing Horace Grant.
Jo suffered multiple injuries and missed many games with a shoulder injury. With his shoulder not functioning properly, he required surgery to stabilize it.
New York Knicks
Noah joined his hometown team, the New York Knicks, in 2016, signing a four-year contract worth $72 million.
Jo had high expectations, but later this became a difficult period in his life as he was labeled the worst signing in franchise history.
First, the Frenchman had to undergo a knee arthroscopy to remove a loose body.
After his recovery, things got even tough for him as he was suspended for 20 games after violating the league’s anti-drug policy.
During his suspension, which was extended till the 2017-18 season’ first ten games, he was still recovering from his knee injury.
Noah barely played any games in his first season with the Knicks and just three minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Things kept going down the road for him as he was in exile from the Knicks after a verbal confrontation with their coach Jeff Hornacek.
Unfortunately for Noah, the Knicks released him via the stretch-provision waiver on October 13, 2018.
Memphis Grizzlies
Noah signed with the Memphis Grizzlies after being released by the Knicks. The former Bulls recorded his season-high 19 points and 14 rebounds in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Jo scored 22 points and 11 rebounds in their loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Los Angeles Clippers
In the 2020 season, Jo signed a 10-day contract with the Clippers that turned into a multi-year contract in June. But, only a few months after his contract, Clippers waived him.
In March 2021, Noah announced his retirement after horrendous final years.
His first professional team, the Chicago Bulls, named him the ambassador for the team by hosting a “Joakim Noah Night” in honor of Noah.
National Team
Joakim had a long line of countries he could have played for internationally, but he chose to play for the senior French national basketball team.
Noah holds three different citizenships; France, the United States, and Sweden.
He made his debut for the senior French national team on July 24, 2009, in a friendly match against Austria. He scored 16 points and 9 rebounds.
Besides, Jo played for the national team at EuroBasket 2011. However, he did not join the Olympic team for the London 2012 Summer Olympics due to an injury.
Girlfriend
Joakim Noah married his long-time girlfriend, Lais Ribeiro, in Brazil on July 7, 2022.
The former NBA player and Ribeiro reportedly started dating in July 2018, and got engaged at the Burning Man festival in 2019.
Lais Ribeiro was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on October 5, 1990. Ribeiro was pursuing a career in nursing before she decided to become a model.
She has had a successful modeling career as she has been involved with Victoria’s Secret for the past decade and has featured annually in Victoria’s Secret’s annual shows since 2011.
She also has a son, Alexandre, who suffers from autism, with her previous partner.
Before being engaged to Lais, Noah reported having two past relationships. He had a relationship with Kristen Ledlow and is rumored to have hooked up with Tatiana Golovin.
Jo reportedly has two children; a daughter (Leia) and a son. However, the mother of these children is not yet disclosed.
In 2010, Noah, with his artist mother, set up the ‘Noah’s Arc Foundation’ to help children feel evolved through arts and sports. The foundation has a sheer concern for at-risk youth in Chicago.
Net Worth
The former basketball player has had a reasonably successful career. From his 15 professional seasons, his salary earnings totaled $142,929,510.
Besides, he also earned some dollars from endorsing different brands.
As of 2024, he is estimated to have a net worth of around $50 million.
With the Bulls, Jo bagged $13.4 million as a salary in the 2015-16 season, and with the Knicks, he took home $18,530,000 as the 2018-19 season’s salary.
Social Media Presence
The former Knicks center is active on social media and frequently posts some snippets of his post-retirement life with his friends and family.
Jo is often seen vacationing with his wife and children. He is available on Instagram under the handle @stickity13 and Twitter @JoakimNoah.
Instagram: 503k followers
Twitter: 635.3k followers
Popularity
Playing in the NBA and registering several records, Joakim Noah has gained popularity among NBA fans.
The above graph gives brief information about the popularity of Joakim Noah based on Google searches in the United States over a year.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What happened to Joakim Noah?
Joakim Noah played 13 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2021 after facing multiple injuries in the final seasons.
Will the Bulls retire Joakim Noah's number?
Noah's jersey no. 13 is unlikely to be retired by the Bulls, but his hard work and dedication to the club have earned him respect and he is now the team ambassador.
Does Joakim Noah have a ring?
Joakim was phenomenal in his playing days with the Chicago Bulls, following the footsteps of Michael Jordan, but unfortunately, he hasn't won an NBA Championship.
