Joakim Noah Unhappy With Fan Giving Him the Finger


Understandably, Joakim Noah admitted that he was none too pleased when a crazed Miami Heat fan stuck her middle finger in his face as the Chicago Bulls’ center was ejected in Game 2. Noah shook it off as simply an unfortunate part of the job. Per ESPN: “Noah was reluctant to get too in depth about the incident after practice Thursday, but shot upright when asked if he typically has fun with fan interaction. ‘Do you have fun when somebody sticks their middle finger in your face?’ Noah said. Noah admitted that unruly fans, especially during road games, are part of the gig, and concurred that hostile treatment goes back as far as high school as it has for most players who have reached the professional level. ‘It’s all good,’ he said. ‘It’s all part of the process. It’s all part of the process.’ […] Head coach Tom Thibodeau did address Noah’s ability to ignore the middle finger in his face. ‘You can’t get wrapped up in stuff that’s not important,’ Thibodeau said. ‘The important stuff is to concentrate on doing your job and to have the toughness, the physical and mental and emotional toughness, to get through all the things that you have to go through on the road. For the most part, Jo has done a good job with that, but as a team we let our emotion get to us. We can’t do that.’ Noah said obscene gestures wouldn’t ruin his day. ‘I love the game,’ he said. ‘I love basketball. I feel very blessed.'”