Joakim Noah says last season sucked, but promises to bounce back from a calamitous first year in New York.
Joakim Noah breaks silence with Phil Jackson regret, vow to show Willy, KP6 the right way #Knicks https://t.co/I9j3Exemrg
— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) August 19, 2017
Noah, 32, refuses to blame former team president Phil Jackson for his and the Knicks’ troubles in 2016-17.
Jackson inked the big fella—whose season was mmarred by injuries and a drug suspension—to a controversial four-year, $72 million deal last summer.
Per the NY Post (via The Truth Barrel podcast):
“It’s tough, man, because I got a lot of love and respect for Phil,” Noah said. “He gave me an opportunity to play back home. Somebody I read all his books as a kid. I was just a big fan and still am. I have a lot of respect for him. It didn’t work out. That sucks. It’s something I have to live with. He believed in me, and I kind of let him down. That’s frustrating. He got a lot of blame that it was his fault. But we didn’t lose all those games because of Phil Jackson.”
Noah, 32, spoke philosophically about a year in which everything that could’ve gone wrong for him went wrong.
“I wouldn’t trade it for s–t,” Noah said. “I know a lot of people are mad about it, but I’m not. I don’t feel sorry for myself. Everything that happened were my decisions. I’m a grown-ass man. I’m playing in New York City. It sucked because I didn’t play well. I get to bounce back and come back next year. … I’m not going to quit. I know New York — I know if I can come back and get it right, that could be a big story, too,” Noah added.
