Joakim Noah signed a 4-year, $72 million deal with the New York Knicks back in the summer of 2016. He would go on to play just 53 games with the team over a two-year stretch before he was ultimately let go.
Appearing on the Knuckleheads podcast with Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson, Noah detailed his struggles with the Knicks which circulated around plenty of injuries.
“I was f—– up. You know what I mean? I was injured. I’m dealing with three injuries. I’m taking drugs to deal with the pain. I was f—– up. That’s the s— I had to deal with.”
Noah couldn't ever stay healthy with the Knicks which wasn't a huge shock given his style of play that featured being a bruiser and a rim protector in the paint throughout his career. Still, the investment on New York's end in Noah ended up burning them big time.
The former NBA Defensive Player of the Year noted that it was hard to get out of the routine of dealing with his injuries through drugs and other outlets.
“It is not an easy thing to get out of. A lot of athletes have to go through that. You think you’re just getting surgeries and what? Like, yeah, I’m trying to get through this s—. They talk about this s— like ‘Oh, he’ll be back in four to six weeks’. Like f— you mean? I gotta go up against the baddest, fastest motherf—— in the world. And I’m dead. I can’t move my shoulder. I can’t move my knee, I have two injuries at the same time!”
Noah has always been known and respected for speaking his mind and he didn't hold back talking about what things were like for him after signing with the Knicks.
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