Interview: Joakim Noah of NBA's Chicago Bulls

Vavel USA got the opportunity to interview Chicago Bulls big man Joakim Noah.

Christian: Can you talk about your basketball shoes, Le Coq Sportif?

Noah: It’s a French brand. The shoes have personal value for me. Arthur Ashe used to wear those shoes, and he’s the person who found my dad in Cameroon and gave him an opportunity to play tennis. Arthur helped my dad go to France as an 11 year old and play tennis at a boarding school. My father signed a contract with Le Coq Sportif. So, I’m kind of a third-generation Le Coq Sportif guy, which is really cool.

Christian: Read any good books lately?

Noah: I just read “The Kite Runner” I read newspapers too, usually the New York Times. When you’re an NBA player, you have a lot of free time, so I try to keep up with whats going on in the world.

Christian: Talk about the support Bulls fans have shown you the past couple years?

Noah: It’s been great. I think Chicago has seen me grow as a player and a person. When you’re 7 feet tall with a lot of hair like me, I’m kind of easy to spot, and the fans have always treated me great. I think this year we’re going to give the city a team to be proud of, and that’s why I’m so hyped for the season.

Christian: When you wore your “famous” seersucker suit with bow tie during the 2007 NBA Draft, what was the look you were going for that evening?

Noah: That was just a super-funky outfit for one of the best nights of my life!