Joe and Jada Podcast: Joakim Noah Talks Bulls, D-Rose, Knicks, and LeBron's Future

Host: Fat Joe & Jadakiss
Guest: Joakim Noah (with appearances from Butter)
Release Date: November 27, 2025
Podcast: Joe and Jada by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Episode Theme:
This episode dives deep into the intersection of basketball culture and hip-hop as Fat Joe and Jadakiss welcome NBA All-Star Joakim Noah. They reminisce about streetball in New York, the legendary Chicago Bulls run with Derrick Rose, discuss the realities of NBA life, examine the evolution of the game, the DNA of the Knicks, and debate the future of LeBron James. The conversation is vibrant, raw, and full of inside stories, laughter, and wisdom, all in the hosts' unmistakable New York energy.

Table of Contents

• Joakim Noah’s NYC Roots & Hip-Hop Influence
• The Glory Days at Florida & College Camaraderie
• Streetball, Rucker Park Legends & NBA Crossover
• The Evolution of the Big Man and Today's NBA
• Growing Up: Family, Discipline, and Inspiration
• Memories from the Chicago Bulls & The Derrick Rose Era
• NBA Life: Injuries, Knicks Tenure, and Adjusting Post-Career
• Knicks DNA, Homegrown Talent, and New York Basketball Culture
• Debates: MJ vs. Today, European Players, LeBron’s Future
• Butter Joins: Community, Advice for Young Players & Streetball Stories
• Joakim’s New Travel Show: "Nomad"
• Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
• Episode Timestamps

Joakim Noah’s NYC Roots & Hip-Hop Influence <a name="nyc-hiphop"></a>

• Joakim moved from France to New York City in 1998, absorbing the city’s unique hip-hop and basketball culture.
• Hip-hop and streetball were deeply intertwined in NYC, shaping him on and off the court.
• Reminisced about Fat Joe’s presence at Rucker Park and how streetball tournaments prepared him for the next level.
• [07:09] Joakim: “If I didn’t have New York City, if I didn’t have the hip hop… the street ball and the hip hop are so connected. And you don’t see that anywhere else like that.”

The Glory Days at Florida & College Camaraderie <a name="florida-glory"></a>

• Discussed Florida’s historic back-to-back NCAA championships.
• The team chose camaraderie and “just having a blast” over heading straight to the NBA for money.
• [16:49] Joakim: “When you have good chemistry on that court, you can’t take that for granted. You might never have that again… You got to treat your people right and take care and protect that, because that is fragile.”

Streetball, Rucker Park Legends & NBA Crossover <a name="rucker-legends"></a>

• Vivid stories of Rucker Park, Dykman, Kingdome, and NYC streetball.
• The energy and pressure of streetball “made NBA games feel easy” for some, and “shook” others.
• NBA stars (Marbury, Artest, Baron Davis) played for free just for the love—while some NBA all-stars faltered under Rucker Park’s unique chaos.
• [28:21] Joakim: “I came to Harlem… I’m playing Dyckman. I’m playing at the Rucker. I’m playing at Kingdome… after that summer went back to Chicago, I came back a fucking different. It was a different animal.”

The Evolution of the Big Man and Today's NBA <a name="modern-nba"></a>

• Marvel at Victor Wembanyama’s unprecedented versatility as a 7-footer crossing people up and dunking.

• Old-school big men nostalgia: Fat Joe laments the lack of post play, emphasizing the need for specialization and grit.

• Joakim credits Brad Miller with changing his career—coaching him on handoffs and passing from the elbow at the Bulls.

• [22:57] Fat Joe: “What the fuck is wrong with Wimba Yamba? I seen him cross a dude four times... It’s everything we know about basketball or we think we know—gone."

• [50:11] Joakim: “Catch the ball at the elbow, dribble handoff. If he’s overplaying it, throw the back door pass… two simple things that changed my whole shit."

Growing Up: Family, Discipline, and Inspiration <a name="upbringing-inspo"></a>

• Joakim comes from a lineage of athletes: Cameroonian soccer-playing grandfather, Hall of Fame tennis champion father, Yannick Noah.
• He credits discipline, daily early morning runs, and the example his family set for his resilience and professional mindset.
• [42:39] Joakim: “Third generation athlete. My grandfather was a soccer player from Cameroon. My pops is a Hall of Fame tennis player… Only African player to ever win a Grand Slam.”

Memories from the Chicago Bulls & The Derrick Rose Era <a name="bulls-rose"></a>

• Describes the chemistry and energy of the young Bulls core: Rose, early Jimmy Butler, Deng, Boozer, Heinrich.
• The heartbreak of Derrick Rose’s career-altering injury—Noah makes clear they believed they were championship-bound.
• Deep admiration for Rose’s humility and the way he inspired Chicago’s youth.
• [75:11] Joakim: “When Derrick Rose was in his prime, when he stepped onto the court… you felt like you had a chance you could win… When the injury happened, it was like somebody died, bro.”

NBA Life: Injuries, Knicks Tenure, and Adjusting Post-Career <a name="nba-life"></a>

• Noah’s struggles with injuries, mental state, and dealing with New York’s nightlife alongside a coach who didn’t support him (Jeff Hornacek, “Corny Horny”), leading to Knicks fallout.
• The pressure of NBA salaries being public and unwanted attention in the city.
• Transitioning to life after basketball: loss of the "gladiator" feeling, reinvention, and seeking fulfillment beyond fame.
• [59:52] Joakim: “Now this is the first time in my life where I got a lot of money. I’m young, but I don’t have a job. So I’m like, yo, if I stay in New York City right now, it’s a rap.”
• [81:28] Joakim: “You’re playing in front of 20,000 people… then all of a sudden, when it’s done, it’s like you don’t get that no more. Ever. You’re not the gladiator anymore…”

Knicks DNA, Homegrown Talent, and New York Basketball Culture <a name="knicks-dna"></a>

• Discuss how the Knicks now (credit to Leon Rose & William Wesley) hold on to homegrown talent, changing a painful history of trading away star players.
• Noah points out that the Knicks used to avoid players who were “too close to home,” worried about the city’s distractions—a mentality changing under the new regime.
• [64:25] Joakim: “It’s a real thing. They didn’t want those guys, because they’re from the city. ‘They too close to home.’”

Debates: MJ vs. Today, European Players, LeBron’s Future <a name="nba-debates"></a>

• Fat Joe notes the younger generation sometimes dismisses Michael Jordan’s greatness, claiming he played mainly "white boys”—they counter by talking about the dominance of current European players like Jokic and Luka.
• The hosts debate the meaning of "real white" players—distinguishing between "American" whites and "Serbian," "Croatian" type toughness.
• Heated debate: Fat Joe insists LeBron might be on the Lakers’ trading block due to new blood performing (Reeves, etc.), Jada and Joakim think that’s wild and LeBron is untouchable.
• Memorable extended riff on NBA’s lack of loyalty, parallels to Fat Joe’s own music industry struggles.
• [96:05] Fat Joe: “My MVP for the next four to five years is Wemba Yamba. If he don’t get hurt—it’s a rap. It’s his league.”
• [110:02] Jada: “When it’s your time, it’s the NBA. And then there’s LeBron. Have you been watching?”

Butter Joins: Community, Advice for Young Players & Streetball Stories <a name="butter-segment"></a>

• Butter, a Harlem streetball legend, drops insight on the transition from playground fame to structured environments ("NBA is different").
• Advice for kids: focus less on noise, more on accountability and listening; "Don’t get lost in the sauce."
• Emotional stories about Rucker Park talent—who made it, who didn’t, and why.
• [118:17] Butter: “Continue to learn. Be more of a listener… When you start to be accountable, you’ll grow.”

Joakim’s New Travel Show: "Nomad" <a name="nomad-show"></a>

• Joakim reveals his travel series, Nomad, where he explores the world’s basketball cultures and connects with local heroes.
• Filming in Chicago, Morocco, Jamaica, featuring interviews and highlighting diasporic connections and community uplift.
• Will air on YouTube via NBA Take Two.
• [85:36] Joakim: "The show is Nomad. I'm working with a media company called NBA Take Two… We started in Chicago, then we went to Morocco… I'm hype as hell. I get to travel."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments <a name="quotes"></a>

• Joakim Noah (About Florida): "We said the bread could wait because we were having a blast out here. No social media, we was up." [16:49]
• Fat Joe (About Rucker Park): "That casket gotta go through the rucker." [08:23]
• On Derrick Rose: "When he got hurt, it was like we didn't have a shot anymore. Even talking about it now, it still hurts." – Joakim Noah [75:42]
• On NBA Transition: “You're not the gladiator anymore… I had to change my whole mindset.” – Joakim Noah [81:28]
• On LeBron’s Future Debate: “If it's something the NBA has taught you, it is zero to no loyalty.” – Fat Joe [110:02]
• On Playoff MVPs: "My MVP for the next four to five years is called Wemba Yamba. If Wemba Yama doesn’t get hurt, it’s a rap." – Fat Joe [96:05]

Episode Timestamps <a name="timestamps"></a>

• 03:28 — Joakim joins: Streetball/hometown memories
• 15:20 — NCAA Championships & returning for camaraderie
• 22:10 — Ahead-of-his-time play, Wembanyama discussion
• 28:21 — Streetball summers, prepping for the league
• 39:12 — Early basketball inspirations, family background
• 46:34 — Reflections on Tim Duncan, Bulls lineup
• 75:11 — The Derrick Rose era & biggest “what if”
• 81:28 — Life after the NBA
• 85:11 — Announcement of “Nomad” travel series
• 96:05 — Wembanyama MVP prediction discussion
• 105:45 — DJ Khaled's work ethic and LeBron’s future
• 117:03 — Butter on youth, listening, and accountability
• 124:52 — Stories of playground-to-pros, who made it/why
• 126:19 — Salute to Greg Marius and streetball community

Closing Thoughts

“Joe and Jada” delivers another high-energy, unfiltered session where basketball, hip-hop, and real talk collide. Joakim Noah’s authenticity and humor, Fat Joe and Jadakiss’s chemistry, and Butter’s street wisdom create a must-listen for anyone who loves the stories and culture behind the game.