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 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 Cecilia Rodhe, 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. In 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 season.