A former NBA player, teammate of Joakim Noah at the Chicago Bulls, has just been arrested on suspicion of violence against his 10-year-old son

Among LeBron James’ biggest rivals in the NBA, Joakim Noah holds a good place. The King himself mentioned the Frenchman’s name recently, and evoked a memory which should not make the latter smile.

When you spend more than 20 years on the floors of the league, it’s hard not to make any enemies. Even a player as revered by his peers as LeBron James can attest to this. Arriving in the NBA in 2003, the King found himself in a plethora of rivalries over the years… and continues to do so today. Because if he does not express any animosity on his side, his relationship with Dillon Brooks remains conflictual.

On the other hand, no current Bulls player can be perceived as hostile towards LeBron. The latter was rather very complicit with most of them during his visit to Chicago on Wednesday. His warm greeting with Zach LaVine even caused a buzz. However, the Chosen One did not always receive such a friendly welcome at the United Center, where it was celebrating the 20th anniversary of its first arrival.

LeBron recalls a trauma experienced by Joakim Noah and the Bulls

Invited by Ryan Taylor of NBC Sports Chicago to talk about his past with the Bulls, James mainly focused on a very specific period:

Favorite moment in a game against Chicago? There are so many, to be completely honest. I could talk about the battles I fought against D-Rose, Joakim, Taj and all those guys back in the day. (…) All these clashes, no matter which team they had, it was fun.

An even more specific memory crossed his mind and risks making Chi-Town fans cringe:

There were quite a few when I was in Miami, but there was also the playoff series where I scored a game-winner here, right in front of their bench. I think it was Game 4 and D-Rose, Joakim and Jimmy were still playing there.

Indeed, Rose, Noah, Gibson and Butler were among the ranks of the Bulls during this famous series. LBJ played for the Cavaliers and had to put on his hero costume to restore a parity score during match 4. With 1.5 seconds to play, he indeed scored this legendary shot in front of the opposing bench, leaving Jooks and his stunned group before eliminating them a few days later:

May 10, 2015: Game 4. Eastern Conference Semifinals. LeBron for the win. pic.twitter.com/W8LwlQHb2B

— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips)

May 10, 2020

The memory of LeBron James definitely never fails him, even when it would certainly suit his former victims. And unfortunately for Joakim Noah, it seems that the King has not forgotten his multiple successes against him.