Phil Jackson and Joakim Noah each have their own, shall we say, eccentricities. Jackson, an 11-time NBA champion, became famous during his career for his unorthodox coaching methods (which borrowed liberally from various freshman-level philosophy texts), while Noah made a name for himself as a rather colorful quote machine as young player for his candid, off-the-cuffs remarks, like that time he admonished Kevin Garnett for being “a very mean guy,” or when he so gloriously dubbed the Big-3-era Miami Heat “Hollywood as Hell.”
But according to a new report, Noah and Jackson have a somewhat curious history together that apparently stretches back long before the Knicks GM signed the former Bulls center to a multi-year deal this summer during free agency.
Noah just told a bizarre story about having gone to Montana four or five years ago to meet/hang out w Phil. Can't even sum it up in a tweet
— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) July 8, 2016
Noah showed up at Phil's house in Montana & knocked on his door. "[Phil] said, 'Why are you here?' [Noah] said "I dunno." 😳
— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) July 8, 2016
Then, if I'm understanding correctly, Noah stayed w Phil for 3 days. Bruhhh, I have so many questions
— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) July 8, 2016
The details are scarce, but what we wouldn’t give to have been a fly on the wall in that scenario. Jackson obviously fancies himself a sort of messianic figure who inspires the type of apostolic devotion that would compel someone to embark on this type of pilgrimage in a fugue-like state, so it probably shouldn’t be that surprising. No doubt that fortuitous encounter eventually led to their current partnership in New York, where Noah now has a chance to revitalize his once promising career. How it plays out from here is anybody’s guess.
