Joakim Noah has put the Chicago Bulls on his back and kept them in the playoff hunt without Derrick Rose this season. The big man is averaging a double-double with 12.2 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. He is also averaging 4.8 assists (6.8 during the months of February and March) and has been a big part of a defense that allows fewer points than any team in the NBA.
Noah is clearly Chicago’s MVP, and some would even argue that he deserves to be in the league MVP discussion. The 29-year-old doesn’t want to hear that. When he was asked on Sunday about fans chanting “MVP!” while he’s at the free throw line, Noah did not seem happy.
I don’t like it,” he told the Bulls’ official website. “No, I don’t like it. Because our MVP is not playing. We have one MVP, and that’s Derrick Rose.
And it’s not about MVPs, it’s about rings, and one day I hope that we can get one here. That’s all I want. I don’t care about none of that stuff [MVPs].”
Noah seemed genuinely bothered when discussing the “MVP!” chants at the end of what had been a light-hearted interview. In reality, I’m sure he’s flattered. But Noah has always been a team player whether you like his attitude or not, and his response reflected that.
We all know the fans in Chicago have a very high basketball IQ. The NBA MVP award typically goes to a player who puts up a ton of points or makes a huge impact on offense. The fact that Bulls fans recognize that Noah is one of the main reasons their team is 35-28 without its best player should make the former Florida star feel pretty good about his season.
H/T SLAM Online
