“ It has always been a great regret in my career that Joakim did not play more in the French team, that we did not play together more… »
It is with these words that Tony Parker presented his interview with Joakim Noah, broadcast on the Skweek platform. A player with whom he was able to win a silver medal in the selection, at Eurobasket 2011, but whom he would have liked to have worked with more in the national team. France…
“ I’m sure if you had come [plus souvent]we would have won more medals », assures the leader, during his one-on-one with the pivot. “ I enjoyed playing with you and my argument when I talk to people is that I am convinced that if you had come for more summers, I would have more gold medals… »
“ With the way I was playing, it was hard to continue. »
Performing in the NBA for many years, Tony Parker and Joakim Noah have only played one international competition together, an observation which inevitably leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
As much for French fans as for the French coaching staff or for the main stakeholders themselves.
A succession of missed meetings between the former star player of the Bulls and the Blues, for contractual reasons or for physical reasons: Eurobasket 2009, World Cup 2010, Olympic Games 2012, Eurobasket 2013, World Cup 2014, Eurobasket 2015…
“ You always pushed for [que je vienne] and it’s nice to be able to talk about it now, now that it’s over “, first launches “Jooks” to “TP”. “ Honestly, I would have liked [être là plus souvent], but the reality is that I had many, many, many injuries at the end of the season… I was still hurting and I really wanted to win an NBA title. For me, with the way I was playing, it was hard to continue. »
The 2012 Olympics as the main disappointment
Following on from Eurobasket 2011, a qualifier for the 2012 Olympic Games, Joakim Noah indicates that he was in any case ready to put on the warm-up blue again in London…
“ We qualified for the Olympics, I was really excited to go and I remember I had an old injury… »
Then Tony Parker slipped in: “ You planned to come! People don’t know it, but you wanted to come to the Games… »
This was obviously confirmed by Joakim Noah, cut down at the time by an ankle injury in the playoffs which remains, even today, in his throat…
“ It was violent… », he confides, referring to his disappointment. “ It’s hard to be able to talk about it, because I know I disappointed a lot of people [en France] because of that and, even more so, my teammates. I know that the year we did together was a special moment, even if we didn’t win the medal. [d’or]. It was a great band, it was special, that’s all that matters, but it’s also hard to see people disappointed. Except that sometimes you have to make decisions, and that’s it. We did a campaign [ensemble]it was special… and now we’re going skiing together! »
Finally, the FFBB would end up closing the doors of the selection to Joakim Noah for good in 2016, a few months before the Rio Olympic Games. The end of a love story I love you… me neither » between “Jooks” and the Blues…
