Remember When Everyone HATED That The Bulls Picked Joakim Noah (including myself), Well That Seems Like Decades Ago

So obviously by now you know Luol and Joakim Noah made the All-Star team last night. And while normally I genuinely don’t give a fuck about All Star Games and who makes the team this one is a little different because there is history behind it. Places like ESPN will just say “Joakim Noah-C (1st All Star Selection)” on the bottom line because that’s their job, to report in a cold unbiased way. Barstool Sports on the other hand is the fan’s perspective, and its why I think people always come back to this site, to get a genuine take on things that doesn’t have the corporate bullshit.

So back to Noah. Does everyone remember when we drafted him? Because I do, vividly, and I hated it. Everyone did. He was the annoying skinny kid at Florida that won titles and screamed into the camera. One of those guys that we all just assumed would be another great college player and a bust in the NBA while his teammate, Al Horford, would go on to be the real deal. And that’s where the history of this All Star selection comes into it. I feel like Noah and Chicago fans have had this deep relationship. Growing together. Its different than trading for an All-Star. He’s an All-Star but more importantly he’s our All-Star. We literally watched it happen. And people who don’t watch him night in and night out don’t fully appreciate him. They see an ugly shot and a guy with nasty hair. Its like when Peanut Tillman was getting all the national love (deservedly so) this year, and everyone in Chicago knew that that was just how Peanut plays and he’s been awesome for a long time. Or White Sox fans knowing that AJ and Konerko mean so much more to the team night in and night out than just what shows up on the box score. Or even a guy like Kane. Everyone on the outside asks how can you root for a drunk idiot that, a guy who punches cab drivers and embarrasses your franchise? Well if you see shit like his pass last night, or the handful of times a game when he will literally take your breath away, and remember that he’s 24 years old, you’d understand.

And that’s Jo Noah. He’s not sexy. His shot is ugly. Other teams find him annoying but he’s our guy and anyone who has watched him on a consistent basis knows that this All-Star selection was a million times deserved. It’s nice to see guys like this get the recognition they deserve. He wasn’t a number 1 pick, the national media doesn’t love him, but the guy works hard every single night and all he ever wants to do is win basketball games, two things that should be admired more often.