Topic: Joakim Noah

Joakim Simon Noah (pronounced /ˈdʒoʊ.əkɪm/ or 'JO-a-kim') (born February 25, 1985) is a French-Swedish-American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the University of Florida from 2004 to 2007, and was a key member of the Florida Gators' starting five that won two consecutive NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournaments in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, the Chicago Bulls selected Noah in the first round (ninth pick overall) in the 2007 NBA Draft.

Noah was born in New York City in 1985, to French singer and former professional tennis player Yannick Noah, and Cécilia Rodhe, Miss Sweden 1978. His paternal grandfather Zacharie Noah was a Cameroonian professional soccer player, winner of the Coupe de France in 1961. Noah calls himself "the African Viking."

He competed on basketball teams for several high schools, first at the United Nations International School (UNIS) in New York City. At UNIS he was coached by Alsonso Shockley, Harry Muniz and David Gartrelle. He reached the championships as the only sophomore on the team. He also played in streetball tournaments and his nickname was "The Noble One" because someone heard that his dad was a pro tennis player. He later transferred to Poly Prep in Brooklyn, New York, where he was coached by Bill McNally, and then to The Lawrenceville School, outside of Princeton, New Jersey.