Joakim Noah criticizes Kevin Garnett on the radio
Joakim Noah is torn. While the outspoken forward for the Chicago Bulls had a poster of the Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett on his wall growing up, he has developed a different impression
of the 34-year-old power forward since entering the league in 2007. And Noah, who recently signed a five-year contract extension with the Bulls, pulled no punches at a recent radio appearance on
The Waddle & Silvy Show on ESPN 1000.
"Kevin Garnett will not -- will not -- get a Christmas gift from me," Noah said playfully during his appearance on Wednesday 10 November. "I don't like him."
The bad blood between the two players began during last season’s play-offs when Garnett was suspended for throwing an elbow at Quentin Richardson during the Celtics’ series with the Miami
Heat. Even though Noah had his hands full as the Bulls were playing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, he still managed to give his two cents, calling Garnett a dirty player. "I had his poster in my room," Noah said on ESPN 1000. "I used to wear his
jersey. And the truth is my rookie year, I was in admiration of this guy, and he kind of shut me down."
"He's a very mean guy," Noah added. "Where's the love? None at all. Ugly, too."
Garnett got himself in some hot water when he reportedly called Charlie Villanueva of the Detroit Pistons a “cancer patient” at a recent game, a situation that
Villanueva
made public on his Twitter account. Garnett has denied the claim.
Now Noah is saying that Garnett is not too fond of rookies in the NBA. "And he was very mean to me my rookie
year. And he's only mean to the young guys and the [European players], for some reason. I don't know why, but that's who he doesn't like. He's not nice. I talk a lot of trash out there, but c'mon, be a little sensitive. Be sweet."
The only time Noah and Garnett have faced off in the play-offs was in the first round of the 2008-09 play-offs, with the Bulls losing in seven games.
Meanwhile, Noah’s comments have made the Bulls’ next game against the Celtics on 3 December a little more interesting.
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