“He Was Arrogant”: Joakim Noah Calls Out LeBron James For ‘Stunting’ Against His Bulls

Joakim Noah recently appeared on Out The Mud Podcast, reflecting on his rivalry with LeBron James. In the early 2010s, LeBron had a bone to pick with the Chicago Bulls, the franchise that drafted Noah. His rivalry with LBJ started when the latter was in Cleveland and continued after he went to Miami.

Noah, while giving LeBron his flowers and acknowledging that he was the best player in the league at the time, also mentioned his gripe with James. Being the best in the league brought out the ‘show off’ in Bron. Joakim wasn’t a fan of such theatrics as he tells Tony Allen and Zach Randolph

“He was arrogant and he was a stunter…and there were moments when you’re down 20 points, you’re shooting a free throw with your left hand, you’re dancing all over the court, I wasn’t feeling it,” he said. LeBron flexing his superiority used to rattle Noah and bring out the urge in him to defend his pride.

This led to several verbal and physical battles between the two. The two-time All-Star believes that he had to stand up for himself and his team in those situations. Noah said, “You lose to somebody five times in the playoffs, there’s nothing funny about that…I don’t want something bad to happen to him, I’m just a competitor.”

Although more than a decade has gone by, Noah and LBJ have yet to shake hands and put their feud behind them. During his appearance on Udonis Haslem’s The OGs podcast, Noah was asked if they have “worked things out yet.” He responded with, “Nope, we haven’t.” The former DPOY used that opportunity to clarify that his feud was only with LeBron and had nothing to do with Cleveland.

He said, “Every year you’re losing and you know you have to get through him, that’s where it came from.” In fairness, when he said, “I never heard anybody say, ‘I’m going to Cleveland on vacation.’ What’s so good about Cleveland?” during a press conference, it was bound to make him sound like someone who hated Cleveland and by association, Cavaliers players.

Noah’s Bulls lost to LeBron’s teams in the playoffs in 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2015. What’s commendable is that despite their rivalry, Noah has always acknowledged LBJ’s greatness. On The Young Man and The Three, he said, “To be dominant at 40 years old is pretty crazy. It’s crazy. I can barely walk to the bathroom and this guy is still dominating.”

He stated that LeBron’s longevity speaks to the love and dedication he has for the game. After being at the top of his game for over two decades, even rivals with the thickest of skins have been able to recognize greatness when it’s staring them right in the face.