This image is owned by the NBA
Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose went into their first battle in April of 2009 against the defending World Champions, Boston Celtics. Rose was just a rookie trying to live up to his hype while Joakim Noah trying his best to prove he wasn’t a disappointment in just his sophomore season. Derrick Rose’s last second block on Rajon Rondo helped the Bulls beat the Boston Celtics in Game 6. Joakim Noah with his career famous steal on Paul Pierce finishing it off with an And-One jam fouling Pierce out of the game in Game 6. These memories were just the start for the Bulls duo, fans knew they had something special.
Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah stuck together through thick and thin. Whether it’s Noah’s health with plantar fasciitis or Rose’s knee injuries, both players defended one another because they knew how hard the other worked.
“Every time something happens to him, people act like it’s the end of the world. And that’s f—ing so lame to me. Relax. Like, OK, he’s coming back from two crazy surgeries. Obviously we’re being conservative with him, and when things aren’t going right, he’s got to listen to his body more than anybody. So everybody needs to chill the f— out. I mean, I’m sorry for cursing, but I’m really passionate. I don’t like to see him down. And he doesn’t say that he’s down, but I don’t like it when, like, people portray him and judge him. ‘Cause it’s not fair to him. It’s not. We’re going to be just fine. We’re going to be just fine. We just got to take it as — just, everybody needs to chill out. Chill out.” – Joakim Noah on Derrick Rose
The love these two players have shown for one another is impossible to put in words. Derrick Rose will only come out of his shadows during the summer time just to support Noah’s Arc Foundation projects.
Both players have a well decorated careers, but it’s no secret they’re on the downfall of their careers. Derrick Rose is a multiple time Allstar with an MVP trophy while Joakim Noah is also a multiple time Allstar with a Defensive Player of the Year award. Both players led their team to the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals where they fell short to the Miami Heat.
Joakim Noah had a career year in 2013 trying to lead the team with Derrick Rose injured. Noah was among the top leaders in triple double that season and led the Bulls in a Game 7 victory over the Brooklyn Nets without Luol Deng or Derrick Rose. Noah, hobbling on one foot that series, scored 24 points with 14 rebounds and 6 blocks in Game 7 on the road. Noah also had a fantastic game against the Pistons in 2012 with 30 points and 23 rebounds with 6 assists.
The accolades seemed never ending for Derrick Rose. Whether it’s his 44 point performance against the Atalanta Hawks in the playoffs or game winner after game winner, Rose seemed to never disappoint with his acrobatic highlight reels.
The athletic point guard and the unorthodox center never seemed to be a picture perfect duo, which made them even more perfect in the fans’ eyes. Usually a one-two punch requires both players playing off one another, but Noah’s unique style made the Bulls duo much different than any duo we’ve seen, and it lasted a long time. The two players have been together since 2008 and will be entering their 8th season together.
There’s three words that come to mind when it comes to Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. Loyalty, unorthodox, and passion. Joakim might show his passion with his screams, but Rose’s passions fires from within which makes them a fierce duo.
With Noah entering his last year of his contract and Rose only having two more seasons under his contract, it’s possible the duo could be in for their last hurrah. They’ll try to make it count for what it’s worth.
