- Not everyone was pleased when the New York Knicks offered Joakim Noah a four-year, $72 million contract in 2016
- Noah suffered a shoulder injury during the 2015-16 season, limiting him to only 29 games.
- Noah had a verbal altercation with then-Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek.
Not everyone was pleased when the New York Knicks offered Joakim Noah a four-year, $72 million contract in 2016. It seemed excessive for a player who had averaged 4.2 points the previous season. As a result of injuries and verbal squabbles, Noah was dubbed “the worst signing in team history.”
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History of injuries
Noah was a defensive stalwart with the Chicago Bulls before joining the Knicks,
winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2014.
He was also crucial to the Bulls’ playoff success in 2011 when they reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
Noah suffered a shoulder injury during the 2015-16 season, limiting him to only 29 games.
The Knicks, led by team president Phil Jackson at the time, considered Noah’s injury as insignificant and offered him a big contract.
But, as fate (or ill foresight) would have it, Noah sustained a knee injury and required surgery.
He was given a 20-game suspension without pay for breaching the league’s anti-drug policy while in rehab.
Noah then had to go through the needle again to fix his rotator cuff.
In his first season with the Knicks, Noah averaged 5.0 points and 8.8 rebounds in 46 games.
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More aches and pains
The difficulties did not stop there; in fact, they worsened.
Noah had a verbal altercation with then-Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek.
This was the final straw, and the team promptly arranged for Noah’s release. According to the New York Post:
“On Saturday, the Knicks formally dismissed center Joakim Noah, employing the stretch provision to officially get rid of the worst signing in franchise history.”
According to sources, the delay was caused by Noah refusing to give up more money
in a buyout because he can join another team for the $2 million veteran’s minimum.
For several weeks, it has been reported that Noah would not be on the Knicks’ 15-man roster.”
Unfortunately, Noah’s Knicks jersey would be one of his final outfits.
Noah signed with the Memphis Grizzlies after being released and played 42 games for them.
He signed a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers for the 2019-20 NBA season,
which led to a multi-year agreement.
However, the Clippers waived him in December 2020.
Noah will retire in March of 2021.
Noah did not have the ideal final act of his career.
Many thought his Clippers stint would be his long-awaited return to the elite level.
However, things do happen. Some of them aren’t in your favor.
