Joakim Noah 'Effectively Retiring' with Chicago Bulls after stellar 13-year NBA career

NBA's Joakim Noah has announced his retirement. According to a statement by The Athletic and The Stadium's Shams Charania, Noah is 'effectively retiring' from basketball. The 13-year veteran apparently plans to retire with the Chicago Bulls. 

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Joakim Noah retiring

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

As per Charania, Noah plans to retire as a Bull. He has spent nine of his 13 seasons with the team, and will want to end his NBA journey with the team. He last played with the Los Angeles Clippers last season. He suffered an Achilles injury in September 2019, and joined the Clippers for ten days before COVID-19 caused the league to go on a hiatus on March 11. 

The 36-year-old travelled to the NBA bubble in Orlando with the Clippers. He was waived by them last December, following which he apparently started contemplating retirement. 

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Joakim Noah stats

Throughout his career, Joakim Noah averaged 8.8 points and 9 rebounds. For two seasons (2012-2013 and 2013-14), he was also named an NBA All-Star. For the 2013-14 season, he was named the Defensive Player of the Year, and also made the All-NBA team. He is also a three-time All-Defensive player. Apart from the Clippers and Bulls, he has played two seasons with the New York Knicks and one with the Memphis Grizzlies. 

In college, he won consecutive NCAA men's basketball championships (2006, 2007) with the Florida Gators. Billy Donovan, who was also Noah's college coach, is the current Bulls head coach. 

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Joakim Noah highlights

HBD Joakim Noah!
People forget how good he was:

All-NBA 1st team
2014 DPOY
4th in MVP voting 2013/14
3 x All-Defense
2 x All-Star pic.twitter.com/80VvlK2fsl

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 25, 2021

Was Joakim Noah MVP?

Noah was never selected as an MVP. During the 2013-14 NBA season, he was ranked fourth in the NBA voting. 

NBA world reacts to Joakim Noah retiring

W career

— Rafy ⚡️💫 RiP KOBE #BLM (14-19) (@RafySZN) March 1, 2021

you’re just too young

— . (@idkwtfwut) March 1, 2021

bruh I thought it was gon say signing with brooklyn

— slim (@SlimDidntMiss) March 1, 2021

Facts he’s a better Bull all-time than JorCasino

— nba/nfl fan (@sup44821152) March 1, 2021

He was on the clippers last season

— average 👁 (@most_average_) March 1, 2021

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(Image credits: Joakim Noah Instagram)