Joakim Noah sent out a heartfelt message to Luol Deng after learning that his friend and former Chicago Bulls teammate had announced his retirement from the NBA after 15 seasons of service.

The Bulls announced the signing of Luol Deng in an official press release that was issued on Thursday afternoon. However, the savvy veteran then declared that he would be retiring with the team.

Noah, who played alongside Deng for years in Chicago, sent out a congratulatory message:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3u8SGPBNQH/

Bulls President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Reinsdorf sent out a message of his own to recognize Deng's contributions to the team, as well as his philanthropic work:

“We're very fortunate and humbled that Luol has chosen to retire as a Chicago Bull,” said President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Reinsdorf, via Bulls.com. “He was a role model on and off the court during his nine-plus years in Chicago, and he gave everything he had to help us win. I want to thank Luol for not only what he accomplished on the court for the team, but also for the leadership he demonstrated through his philanthropic efforts.”

Deng will be remembered as a great player on both ends of the floor. The former No. 7 overall pick played in 902 games over the course of his career, racking up averages of 14.8 points on 45.6 percent shooting from the field (33.2 percent from beyond the arc), 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and a steal in 34.3 minutes per outing.

Like Noah, we would like to congratulate Deng on his retirement.