Joakim Noah Quotations

We're back to step one no respect. We're just going to grind it out like we did at the beginning of the season.

Throughout my journey in basketball, I always have someone to talk to in my father. I know how hard he had to work as an athlete.

When he knocks that 3 in the corner and we're running back on defense, there's no feeling like it.

Right now, it's all about seizing the moment. It's about just playing possession by possession. There's no feeling like this. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We're just soaking it in, enjoying every moment.

I would go on summer vacations visiting family all over the world.

I could see pretty early in the game. But it's not about that. It's team effort. I got a lot of blocks, but we were intimidating inside because we are trees (tall players) out there.

I have a lot of love for Cameroon. We'll probably talk after the game.

I feel like when I play, I play tough. That's the New York in me. That's the street tournaments.

I go back to Africa every year. I have a home there. You know, my grandfather lives back there in Cameroon.

I always give respect to and pay homage to New York, because I don't feel like I would be the player that I am today if it wasn't for New York City. It gives you a certain edge, a certain toughness just growing up in the city.

It hurts when you have so many beautiful girls out there telling you you're ugly.

It is great to do this in front of family.

I was getting recruited by low, low Division I schools. Actually, that's not true. Coach Howland was the first one to recruit me when he was still at Pittsburgh.

We're coming back next year to do it again.

We'll talk about all that. It's something I'll definitely have to discuss with my family, and not just my family but my coaches and the people that I love and the people who want the best for me.

You guys weren't there. We only had like four or five reporters at our games sometimes at the end of the game (during the regular season). I didn't see you there at the beginning of the season.

We're going shine all day, all night. Please don't be mad at us if we don't do a little homework the next couple of weeks.

You (fans) have been great all year, but let's do it in football now.

Are you guys ready to party for like a couple weeks now?

Are you guys ready to party for a couple weeks? . . . We're going to be downtown, midtown, everywhere, and all y'all better be there.

There's so many distractions. The hardest time is going to sleep and the couple of hours before you play - waiting and waiting.

There's no feeling like winning in front of your family.

There's no feeling like it. We deserve it.

The time in between games is the hardest time for me because there's so many distractions. It's just really hard to go to sleep because you're so excited and all you're thinking about is playing in the game. The hardest part for me is going to sleep and the couple hours before the game, waiting and waiting.

Right now they're the enemy. I don't plan on showing them any love before the game.

People remember champions. That's the way it is.

As a basketball player this is your dream -- to play in the national championship game. It's just such a great feeling that it's finally here. There's been so much hard work and so much sacrifice. There's so many moments that I can go back to -- being a little kid, walking to practice. Now I'm finally playing in the game.

All my best friends live downtown in New York City. I was made in Soho.

It's been a lot of hard work. The best thing to this point with our team is we never looked ahead and we never looked back either. We've taken every task at hand for what it is and not taken anything for granted.

It's really important to have balance, spend some time in nature, go to a few parties, enjoy my friends and really chill out.

It's tough when people call your program soft. Tough.

It's indescribable. This is the best I've ever felt in my life. You work so hard for these moments and they're so worth it. We worked so hard as a team, and so much sweat and tears and sacrifices to get moments like this. I'm like on a cloud right now.

They were talking lots of trash. They were just talking crazy to me, like, 'You're so ugly.' Man, that was cold. I mean, it hurts when you have so many beautiful girls out there just telling you how ugly you are and stuff.

After the game we will probably talk, but right now he's the enemy. I'm not really worried about showing him any love right now.

Art is interesting because there can be so many different perspectives in a piece of art. The way I see it may be completely different than the way somebody else sees it. It's interesting to hear what somebody sees in a piece of art compared to somebody else. It could be completely different, and that's interesting to me.

I learned a lot from my father. I'm very lucky to have a father who was a professional athlete.

I love you. Let's do it in football now.

I love him to death. He's the man over there. His girlfriend is like 30 years old; he goes to the clubs. I remember last time, I just couldn't hold up to him. He's a chief over there.

I mean, it's understandable that it's the first time he can't go out there. He can't do anything about it. But he's definitely a big influence in my life.

I'm like, 'Dude, chill out. Just drink a couple beers, watch the game. Just let me play.' He stresses me out.

I remember skipping school a few times to go watch the Big East tournament (at Madison Square Garden).

I love Puerto Rico. I'm from everywhere. I represent for everybody.

Cinderella story or not - to me, honestly, I don't care. Does being (a Cinderella team) help you win basketball games at all? I don't know.

Being from New York, everybody's a point guard. Even when you play in the park, you've got to know how to handle the ball. If you can't handle the ball, you can't really play.

His girlfriend is like 30 years old. He goes to clubs. The last time I was out with him, I couldn't keep up.

I don't know if that's what will be talked about, but that's what should be talked about. I think (Moss) is what this team stands for. Everybody sacrificed to get to this point, and I don't think anybody sacrificed more than Adrian Moss, being a starter as a junior and playing a limited role on the court (as a senior) but still being our leader.