Top 10 Chicago Bulls of the 21st century

4. Joakim Noah

My oh my, how the times have changed. Joakim Noah is no longer the player he once was. But, my goodness, when he was in his prime as a Bull, Noah was an animal.

Coming out of Florida, people questioned the pick by the Bulls. They said he would have off-the-court issues. They said he was immature. They said he offered no offensive game as a pro.

They were wrong.

Noah matured into a fine player with the Bulls, thanks to a pep talk by his college coach, Billy Donovan. Following his first few times on the court with the Bulls, Donovan spoke some encouragement into Noah’s life and gave him a new perspective.

From that moment on, Noah was on a tear and the only way from there on out was up. He became one of the best defensive players in the game during his tenure in Chicago. There were times when he and Gibson were on the floor together and you knew exactly what the opposition was in store for — the paint was completely shut down.

Noah was not only a defensive phenom, but he offered much more offensively than college critics originally thought. Noah became a phenomenal passer as a pro and at times, much of the offense would run through him.

Noah was the heart and soul of those Bulls teams going up against LeBron each and every postseason. He was one of the main reasons Chicago always had a shot in the end. Nobody played harder. Nobody played with more passion. Noah will always be a Bull, through and through.