You won't believe which coach Joakim Noah called 'the best I've ever had'
Joakim Noah has played for Scott Skiles, Vinny Del Negro and Tom Thibodeau during his NBA career, but none of those head coaches rank at the top of his personal list.
In an interview with ESPN's Nick Friedell, Noah explained why Billy Donovan, the coach he played for in college at the University of Florida, is the one he considers to be the best.
Nick Friedell: What is it going to be like for you facing Donovan in the NBA?
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Joakim Noah: I just know I'm going to want to win really bad. Not because I'm playing against Coach Donovan; I love Coach Donovan, obviously. He's like a father figure to me. Somebody that I've gone through a lot with. My time with him as a coach was the best time of my life, and it was a lot more than just basketball.
Friedell: What do you think you learned most from him?
Noah: I think Coach Donovan is somebody who cares about his players, but really cares about his guys. I know that if something ever happened to me, I know that he would be there for me, and that's a great feeling. I always felt like it was more than basketball with Coach Donovan. He's the best coach that I ever had. I got nothing but love for him. I have nothing bad to say about him. I think that he's somebody who has great balance in his life ... we're very similar in a lot of ways in terms of competitiveness. But very different, as well. I love the guy.
