Noa Meets Noah: Beloved Chicago Veteran Mentors French Rookie

When Noa Essengue was drafted 12th overall by the Chicago Bulls in this year’s NBA Draft, he stepped into a franchise with a rich history of colorful personalities. Now, one of the Bulls’ legacy players has reached out to offer mentorship to the French youngster.

As seen in an all-access video posted by the Bulls, Essengue recently met up with two-time All-Star Joakim Noah. It wasn’t just the similar-sounding names that bonded the two athletes; it was also the elder statesman’s lineage, as the son of former French Open winner Yannick Noah spent his childhood and part of his adolescence in Paris.

The video, in fact, shows Noa and Noah having a conversation in French after a Bulls practice session at the United Center. “Nice to meet you in person,” the 13-year NBA veteran said. “It’s been a long time. Congratulations, keep it up.”

“It’s nice to meet you here,” Noa replied.

As the two took their seats at courtside, Noah asked Essengue a serious question: “What do you see when you watch the games? Where do you think you can put yourself?”

The 18-year-old forward didn’t mind admitting that his time had not quite arrived yet. “At the moment, I’m not playing much, so I watch guys who inspire me,” Essengue replied. “For example, the last time we played against Giannis [Antetokounmpo], I watched how he played.”

Essengue, as a matter of fact, has not seen action yet in the regular season. With the Bulls finding early success with their rotations and sophomore Matas Buzelis stepping up his game, there’s been little incentive for head coach Billy Donovan to give playing time to his lottery pick.

Noah’s encouraging words, then, couldn’t have come at a better time as Essengue continues to make a case for a spot in the rotation. Their final exchange in the video shows the grizzled veteran assuring the young man of his support.

“For anything you need, I’m here for you, whether it’s basketball or anything else,” Noah said. Essengue, who was born in the same year that Noah won his first NCAA title, then handed his phone to Noah so that the former All-Star could save his number.