Joakim Noah Q&A: NBA Paris Game, investing in BAL, basketball's growth

Fresh off the 2023 Basketball Africa League Combine and headingtoward the NBA Paris Game between the Chicago Bulls and DetroitPistons in France, retired 13-year basketball pro Joakim Noah issoaking up every second of the international scene.

With Noah on site for both, Basketball News had the chance tocatch up with the longtime Bull and former national-championFlorida Gator to discuss the rise of the BAL, the Paris Game onThursday, basketball expanding to a global stage and much more.

Being at the BAL Combine and seeing the momentum of theleague going into its third season, what's the energy likethere?

Joakim Noah: "Well, it's very special to be inParis. This is a full-circle moment for me personally, and to beable to come to the Combine and to see the energy of the young mentrying to get jobs and work in the BAL, I thought it was reallyspecial. Obviously, we're building a professional league and it'sgrowing. To build something sustainable... to see the growth fromyear-to-year is really special, but also to see the energy of thekids who want to be a part of it. Kids who are from all around theworld, and everybody, you can feel that the kids are just in reallyhigh spirits and want to be a part of it. This is obviously so muchbigger than basketball, and everybody who was at the Combine feltthat way."

There are many former players who are heavily investedin the BAL, including guys you've played with and against likeGrant Hill, Dikembe Mutombo, Ian Mahinmi and Luol Deng to name afew. All of you coming together and contributing to this, how doesthat feel?

Noah: "I think the contributions of some of theplayers that were able to invest is great because it also changesour mindset. Because you know, we were raised as competitors andcompetition can be very divisive, and just to be able to be in aposition to be able to grow and unite is special. Not everybody hasan opportunity to have that, to be at the table with the big dogsand see how we can grow something from scratch is really special.And now that we have this platform, especially for African players,it's really powerful."

What is the ultimate goal for the league?

Noah: "I think just to have a really powerfulleague on the continent where African kids don't feel like theyhave to go anywhere to get paid off of basketball. The game isgrowing, it's the fastest growing sport in the world and a lot ofthe talent comes from the motherland. So just to be a part of thisand to watch the growth and seeing it at the highest level, butalso on a grassroot level, is what it's all about. And now, we'reable to have those conversations at a table altogether and look atthe big picture and see where the growth needs to happen.

"I mean, Africa's so big, so different culturally. I'm learninga lot, and I feel like not only am I involved in something that Iknow a little bit about — because basketball has been my whole life— but I feel like I found my purpose. And there's a lot to be proudof with that. I didn't grow up on the continent, I wasn't born onthe continent, but this is my heritage, and I feel like a lot ofpeople feel that way. I felt that at the Combine (Monday). It'slike, people came from all around the world to be a part of thisand the energy was that the people who were involved reallyunderstand that big picture, and just want to see this game grow.And it's bigger than them just playing and getting a check. A lotof the time with basketball, that's what it becomes, but with thisopportunity, I think that people really feel the purpose and I'mproud to be a part of that."

You kind of mentioned it, but internationally, the gameis becoming so popular and has a ton of momentum. Even in the NBA,you're seeing more of that at a rapid pace, as there were 58European players and nine different players from France on openingnight. We know that Victor Wembanyama is at the top of NBA Draftconversations. In general, the way basketball is growing across theworld, why do you think it's happened so fast and is this going tocontinue in that trajectory?

Noah: "You know, I remember being in Paris andgoing to my first NBA game and seeing Michael Jordan play and thepower of his influence all around the world. My father brought meto the game in Bercy. And 25 years later, the Bulls are coming toplay in Paris again. The French players have had that kind ofaccess. And now, the future of not just French basketball, but thefuture of basketball is this kid Wemby, who's an unbelievabletalent. He grew up seeing a lot of winning, not just in basketball,but you think of France with winning the World Cup. He was raisedand he saw what winning is all about and he knows that it's verypossible.

"So when I was coming up, [Tariq] Abdul-Wahad was the only NBAplayer. And I remember seeing Tony Parker coming up at 15 years oldplaying at ABCD Camp and seeing the career that he had, that was myinspiration. And now, there's just a whole generation of Frenchplayers and they're just taking it to the next level. But France isa country that has all the resources to be the best. They haveeverything. They have the coaching, they have the structures, theyhave the stadiums. They have everything. So you see the growth, andthat's what we're trying to do in Africa. The structures aren'tthere yet, and we have to build it step-by-step."