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Par Joël Pütz | Journaliste sportif
Eighteen years after Joakim Noah, Noa Essengue became the next Frenchman to be drafted by Chicago. The rookie wasted no time in giving his strong opinion on the local icon… and his take will be a big hit with Windy City fans.
Just hours before the draft, he found himself at the center of a nasty controversy. While his club, Radiopharm Ulm, was currently playing in the German championship finals against Bayern Munich, Noa Essengue had chosen to let his teammates manage without him for the last two games of the series in order to travel to Brooklyn to attend the draft.
A decision that didn’t sit well with many fans and journalists at all, of course, with them being concerned about the young Frenchman’s personality. However, his stock didn’t suffer too much, as once the draft began, he was taken by Adam Silver in the 12th spot. So it was the Bulls who decided to set their sights on Noa Essengue.
The Frenchman will be joining a franchise that is navigating by sight and could still make a number of changes to its rotation, with Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic likely to be traded. Their departure would open up a path for Essengue, who has wasted no time in selling his talents to Chicago fans:
Noa Essengue’s clear opinion on Joakim Noah
I think I’m going to bring energy on defense and offense. I’m going to bring everything that I got. Offensively, I’m going to improve myself. I’m going to do all of the little details. I think I can do pretty much everything, all of the details, like shooting, passing the ball, attack the rim. I think my biggest thing right now is the open court game.
One thing is certain, he will be expected to deliver, as the United Center crowd is known for being very demanding and fond of players who really put in the effort. In this regard, how can we not mention Joakim Noah, who is still so popular with local fans. Essengue confirmed that he knows him and praised him:
Yeah, for sure. That’s my guy.
What better way to win over Windy City fans than praise for the 2014 DPOY? Of course, it’ll take more than that to win them over. To do that, he’ll have to make a convincing case as quickly as possible in 2025-26.
