Even if he did not play his entire career in Chicago, it was in Illinois that Joakim Noah made an impression. The pivot played nine seasons with the Bulls and he remains close to “Windy City”.
The proof, he announced to our colleague Shams Charania that it is launching the “One City Basketball League”, after investing in the “Basketball Africa League” recently.
“When I was playing for the Bulls, I did a lot of things with the communities in the city of Chicago,” he recalls. “One of the most powerful things was the tournaments where we brought kids from all over, with different backgrounds, to play against each other. Chicago is an extremely divided city and one way to unify the city is with basketball. »
This tournament will be organized in May, for young people from Chicago, South and West, who are between 16 and 25 years old. The former All-Star set up this project with 28 violence prevention groups. In addition, Joakim Noah’s league will offer player financial assistance and support programs outside of basketball.
Awesome: Former Bulls star Joakim Noah is launching “One City Basketball League” in Chicago this month in collaboration with 28 violence prevention groups. It will provide financial incentives for players, off-court programs and job opportunities. pic.twitter.com/w3XXB0zUpj
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 1, 2023
