Former Chicago Bulls defensive anchor Joakim Noah isn’t one to bite his tongue. This resulted to a rivalry of sorts between him and four-time NBA MVP, LeBron James. However, Noah’s history with James goes much further back than 2018, when James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. Their bad blood was spilled back in the days James was leading the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bulls Former LeBron James Foe Joakim Noah Relives Tense Rivalry
“LeBron was so talented and so good sometimes, like… he would start dancing and it would (tick) me off, you know what I’m saying? Like I’m trying to win,” Noah tells All The Smoke Productions co-host Matt Barnes. “It never happened. I’m still processing. We’re competitors man, at the end of the day. This is the business of competition.”
Joakim Noah on LeBron:
“He’s the greatest I ever played against. Gotta give Bron his flowers” pic.twitter.com/QTKpAnjBy8
— 🎭 (@MaskedInLA) October 3, 2024
“People still talk to me about the Cleveland thing. They think it’s funny, but I think there was a lot of hurt…,” he admits. “You gotta give the guy his flowers. The guy is all-time great. The greatest I ever played against… you gotta give Bron his flowers.”
Four Strikes, You’re Out!
Just from the way Noah discusses James, it’s evident that his heart is balled up, holding in the tension from four failed attempts to dethrone the king.
In the 2010 NBA Playoffs, his Bulls lost to the Cavs in five games. In that First Round series, James averaged 31.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game. Even with Derrick Rose playing at an elite level himself, the uphill battle was too steep.
In the 2011 NBA Playoffs, James’s first season with the franchise, Chicago fell to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals after going 62-20 in the regular season. Though the Bulls were an exceptional team, James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh helped the Heat form what’s now commonly referred to as a superteam. Noah called them ‘The Heatles’ as a dig at their Hollywood atmosphere. During the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals, James led Miami with team-highs of 25.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game.
In the second round of 2013 NBA Playoffs, James faced off against the Bulls again. This time they were led by Jimmy Butler, but the results were still the same. James topped Chicago in five games, averaging team-highs of 23.6 points, 7.8 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.
Two years later, in the 2015 NBA Playoffs, James was back with the Cavs and in another conference semifinals throwdown with the Bulls. After six games, he emerged victorious, averaging 26.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.7 steals per game while facing both Rose and Butler.
It Wasn’t Just Joakim Noah
In Noah’s defense, most players would’ve been frustrated by one opponent frequently stopping them in their tracks. In fact, Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan called James unbeatable while explaining why he was unable to win a championship with the Toronto Raptors. Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George had multiple reasons for leaving the Indiana Pacers but James’s dominance was among them.
James’s reign over the East is now over, but the vice grip he had on the conference is legendary. Frankly, it might be the closest similarity he has to Michael Jordan, who is ironically the most iconic player in Bulls’ history.
