CLEVELAND — It was 12 years ago that Joakim Noah first made his thoughts on the city of Cleveland public.
“I don’t know about this place, man,” Noah said in an interview with TNT as the Chicago Bulls faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2010 NBA Playoffs. “I just stayed in my hotel room. Every time I look out my windows, it’s pretty depressing here man. It’s bad. It’s bad. No -- no going out in Cleveland, man. It’s all factories.”
Asked later if he regretted his comments, Noah memorably replied: “No not at all. You think Cleveland’s cool? I’ve never heard anybody say, ‘I’m going to Cleveland on vacation.’ What’s so good about Cleveland?”
Despite Noah's disdain, Cleveland will serve as the center of the NBA later this month when the city hosts the league's annual All-Star weekend. And while Noah -- a two-time All-Star -- retired following the 2020 season, two players from his former team are heading to the Sixth City, with Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine having been selected to the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.
In order to celebrate the occasion, the Bulls recreated Noah's famous press conference in a video posted to the team's social media account on Friday morning. Only this time, after asking "what's so good about Cleveland?" the clip video plays a series of highlights of Chicago's two All-Star's, followed by a new take from the 2014 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
"Maybe Cleveland isn't -- is not that bad," Noah says. "Have fun in Cleveland, guys. I'll be in Mexico with a margarita."
You can watch the video in the tweet below.