Noah says he was 'too lit' to play in NYC, calls Memphis perfect
Joakim Noah's New York Knicks tenure had far more downs than ups.
In an appearance on the 'Chris Vernon Show', the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year explained that the New York City lifestyle may have been a little too much for him to handle.
"I can look back at it and say I was ready for New York City, but I wasn't," Noah said. "Not just the pressure. I remember after the first game I had 60 people in my house. I'm too lit to play in New York City. Memphis is perfect for me."
Noah, now a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, signed a four-year, $72-million deal with the Knicks in 2016. He appeared in just 53 games over two seasons before being waived in October with two years left on his deal.
The two-time All-Star's stint in the Big Apple was plagued with injury, a 20-game suspension for taking performance-enhancing drugs, and a feud with then head coach Jeff Hornacek. All of those factors led to his eventual dismissal from the team.
"When I got kicked off the team, it was New York Fashion Week and I was getting paid a lot of money and I had no direction," Noah added. "And so I really had to make a decision of how I wanted to live my life because if I kept going in the direction I was going and staying in New York I probably wouldn't be here right now."
Prior to his troubled time in New York, Noah had a mostly successful nine seasons with the Chicago Bulls, where he was named to three All-Defensive teams.
The 33-year-old signed a one-year, $1.7-million deal with the Grizzlies on Dec. 4. He's averaging 6.2 points and 3.8 boards through five appearances.