Joakim Noah said he was ready to play late in the season with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he had been on trial since September. The California franchise, which is aiming for the NBA title, has decided to retain the pivot for the resumption scheduled for July 31.
French pivot Joakim Noah, whose return to the NBA was aborted in early March by the coronavirus pandemic, said he was “as ready as possible” to finally finish this season with the Los Angeles Clippers, in an interview with the Los Angeles Clippers The Athletic.
“I mean, let’s f—ing go!” @JoakimNoah said, raising his voice.
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) June 8, 2020
The Clippers “have made it very clear to me what they want from me. As a player, that’s all you can demand. I’m in an environment where there’s a culture of winning and a team that really wants to go for the title. We can’t ask for more,” Noah said.
“No matter what my role is, I’m grateful. It’s not about comparing myself to what I’ve been doing in the past, it’s just about being the best you can physically and sharing my experience with the guys on the team,” he continued.
In early March, the Clippers hired the 35-year-old veteran on a 10-day contract, the terms of which allow the club, if satisfied with the player’s performance, to extend it until the end of the season. While the pandemic didn’t give Noah time to show that he had good minutes left on the floor, after almost a year’s absence, the California franchise decided to keep him on the roster to play the end of the season starting July 31 in the Bubble of Disney World in Florida.
“A guy who can help us”
“For some, the suspension of the season has been beneficial, and this is the case for ‘Jo’, who was able to get healthy and get back in good shape. And it will be important to him. He’ll be a guy who can help us,” said his new coach, Doc Rivers, who was also interviewed by The Athletic.
Third pivot in the Clippers’ rotation, behind Montrezl Harrell and Croatian Ivica Zubac, Noah, who has not played since March 23, 2019, will try to bring his combativeness in defence and experience. The Frenchman, who could even have played at the start of the season in Los Angeles, without a big cut to an Achilles tendon that occurred at the end of September just before his trial, never lost sight of his goal, despite an operation and six months lost.
“I knew that if I hadn’t trained and the Clippers called and I wasn’t ready, I would have had a lot of regrets. And that’s what drove me to train, that hope to join this team. It was not a question of money. It was none of that. It was about being able to finish my career in a team that has a common goal,” he said.
A goal none other than the NBA title, never touched by Noah who, in 12 seasons, was selected twice in the All-Star Game (2013, 2014) and was named the league’s best defenseman in 2014.
