Abdul-Jabbar: I Helped Joakim Noah Win This Award

During an appearance on Conversations With Trevor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talked about his relationship with Joakim Noah and how he helped him to win a Defensive Player of the Year Award. 

Before Michael Jordan came along, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the choice of many for the greatest player of all-time. And even in the years following Jordan and many others, Kareem is still in many people's top five. 

A few years into his career, Noah reached out to Abdul-Jabbar for help with his game. And while he chose not to incorporate some of Kareem's offensive suggestions, he was able to get a lot better on defense. 

Abdul-Jabbar explained: 

"I tried to show Joakim the skyhook; he wasn't interested. I did show him some things that he could do defensively and how to help his team, and the next season, I worked out with him, and he won Defensive Player of the Year. I know I had some impact, and he thanked me, and I thanked him for giving me the opportunity. It's worked out pretty well."

The son of Cecila Rhode, a former Ms. Sweden and tennis star Yannick Noah, Joakim Noah was a member of a celebrated University of Florida team before being drafted into the NBA by the Bulls. 

Noah was never a major scorer, but he had incredible athleticism and a relentless motor. 2014, right after training with Kareem, was his best season. He made one of his two All-Star game appearances that year, made First-Team All NBA, and was named the Defensive Player of the Year. He retired following the 2020.