What is Joakim Noah's Net Worth?
Joakim Noah is a former professional basketball player who has a net worth of $50 million. Joakim Noah spent most of his NBA career playing for the Chicago Bulls. After leaving the team in 2016, he played for the New York Knicks and Memphis Grizzlies. Joakim Noah played college basketball at the University of Florida and was an integral part of the Gators teams that won two consecutive NCAA Championships in 2006 and 2007. Joakim Noah, who stands at 6'11', was selected with the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He could have also played for the American or Swedish national teams, but chose France. Noah is a citizen of the United States, Sweden, and France.
Career Earnings
Across his 13-season NBA career, Joakim Noah earned $140 million, with the bulk of his income stemming from his contracts with the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks.
During his tenure with the Bulls, he signed a five-year extension in 2010 worth approximately $60 million. Noah's time in Chicago was marked by standout performances, including being named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 and earning two All-Star selections. In 2016, Noah signed a colossal four-year, $72 million contract with the New York Knicks. However, his time with the Knicks was marred by injuries and a performance decline, leading to a contract buyout in 2018 in which the Knicks actually paid Joakim $38 million to play for other teams. During his time with the Knicks, Joakim made $1.3 million on a per-game basis. Noah briefly played for the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2018-2019 season and the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2019-2020 season before announcing his retirement in 2021.
Early Life and High School
Joakim Noah was born on February 25, 1985 in the Manhattan borough of New York City. His mother is former model Cécilia Rodhe, who won Miss Sweden in 1978, and his father is French singer and former tennis star Yannick Noah, who won the French Open in 1983. Noah lived in Paris, France from the ages of three to 13, at which time he moved back to New York City. In Paris, he played youth basketball with the youth teams of the club Levallois Sporting Club. Back in the US for high school, Noah played at Poly Prep Country Day School and the Lawrenceville School.
Collegiate Career
For college, Noah accepted an athletic scholarship to play for the Gators basketball team at the University of Florida. He didn't play much as a freshman in 2004-05, and averaged only 3.5 points per game. Noah was much more prominent as a sophomore, leading the Gators in points and helping the team make it to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament final. The Gators ultimately won the championship, their first ever. Although he had declared for the 2006 NBA draft, Noah decided to return to Florida for his junior season, during which he and the Gators won a second consecutive NCAA championship.
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Chicago Bulls
Noah was selected as the ninth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. He had a rough start to his first season with the team, marked by a suspension in early 2008. In his second season, Noah played only 64 games due to injury, but managed respectable averages of 10.7 points and 11 rebounds per game. Making it to the playoffs, he averaged 14.8 points and 13 rebounds per game. Noah was plagued by injury again in the 2010-11 season. He bounced back the next year to record his first triple-double in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. In late 2012, Noah posted career highs of 30 points and 23 rebounds in a victory over the Detroit Pistons, and shortly after that scored his second triple-double in a win against the Boston Celtics. He recorded his third career triple-double in early 2013.
Noah had arguably his best NBA season in 2013-14; from late December to early February, he had an 18-game streak of 10 or more rebounds. However, he was also fined $15,000 for verbally abusing the referees after a controversial foul was called against him. Back in action, Noah posted his fourth career triple-double, and then his fifth and sixth the next month. He scored his seventh in April, and was soon named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Noah had a less impressive 2014-15 season, averaging just 7.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. His final season with the Bulls in 2015-16 was curtailed due to a shoulder injury.
New York Knicks
In the summer of 2016, Noah signed a four-year contract with the New York Knicks; it would later be called the "worst signing in franchise history" due to Noah's injuries and behavioral issues impeding his seasons and resulting in a premature release from the team. During his first season, he was sidelined for knee surgery and suspended for 20 games for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy. Noah needed further surgery later in the season. He continued having trouble in 2017-18, when he was assigned to the NBA G League's Westchester Knicks for a one-day stint. A couple months after that, Noah went into exile in the wake of a heated altercation with Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek. He only appeared in seven games during the season. In his final season in 2018-19, Noah was released by the Knicks via the stretch-provision waiver.
Memphis Grizzlies
Noah signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in late 2018 to play for the remainder of the season. In February of the following year, he posted season highs of 19 points and 14 rebounds in a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Not long after that, he posted a new season high of 22 points in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Los Angeles Clippers
In March of 2020, Noah signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. He later signed a multi-year contract with the team in June. However, in December, Noah was waived. He subsequently announced his retirement in early 2021.
International Playing
Beyond the NBA, Noah has played basketball on the international stage. As a French citizen, he played for the French national team at EuroBasket 2011.
Personal Life and Philanthropy
In 2018, Noah began dating Brazilian model Laís Ribeiro. The couple got engaged in 2019 and married in 2022.
On the philanthropic side of things, Noah co-founded the Noah's Arc Foundation with his mother in 2010. The Foundation works to engage children in positive self-expression through sports and art, and has a special focus on at-risk youth in Chicago.
