Averaging 14 points and 11.7 rebounds, Chicago Bulls Center Joakim Noah will add hustle, speed, defense and versatility to a Bulls team that is already looking really good right now. At 38-16, they’re #3 in the Eastern Conference but just two games behind co-leaders Miami and Boston. One of the best rebounding and defensive teams in the NBA, they’ll get even stronger when Noah returns to the lineup Wednesday night versus Toronto.
Noah recently underwent thumb surgery and hasn’t played since Dec. 15. But he’s been very busy lately, especially in the non-profit sector.
“I just started a foundation with my mom called Noah’s Arc Foundation, it’s something I’m very excited about. I think being a basketball player, we’re in a position where a lot is given to us and it’s important to give back,” Joakim said.
The foundation’s mission statement reads:
Noahโs Arc Foundation helps children develop confidence and a stronger sense of self through a powerful combination of the physicality and discipline of sports and the emotional open mindedness of art. Brought together, these two life skills encourage kids to grow into well-balanced, more confident adults who can express the purity of their true thoughts and feelings.
“My mom was an artist, and obviously I’m a basketball player and my foundation is about giving the youth an outlet to express themselves, whether it’s through sports or art. It’s pretty interesting, I have a site that just came out. Noah’s Arc Foundation.org, check it out. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for awhile,” Noah said.
“We do a lot of different things, and I think they appreciate that. As a basketball player, we’re in a position where kids listen more than maybe a teacher and it’s important to give them the right message,” he continued.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net. He is also a regular contributor to the Tribune’s Chicago Now network, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker Network, and Fox Sports.com
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