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Former NBA player Joakim Noah spent 13 long seasons in the league and went down as one of the best defenders of his generation. Joakim won one DPOY and made two All-Star and three All-Defensive teams, and that’s usually enough to be the most prominent member of one’s family. That’s not necessarily the case here, though. Joakim’s father is International Tennis Hall of Famer and singer Yannick Noah. That meant he didn’t have a difficult upbringing like many former players, but he shared that it wasn’t all roses and sunshine in an interview with The Athletic. “Being the son of Yannick Noah was a real privilege, but a privilege that you had nothing to do with,” Joakim says. “You’re just a son of Yannick Noah. A lot of my motivation was to have my own name.” Joakim was born in Manhattan, New York, on Feb. 25, 1985. He moved to Yannick’s native France in 1988 and spent 10 years in Paris. A young Joakim would get frustrated as strolls and dinners with Yannick, who famously won the French Open in 1983, were constantly interrupted by fans. He wanted his father to himself, but that wasn’t possible. Joakim also felt the burden of the Noah name. To go with his father, his grandfather, Zacharie Noah, was a Cameroonian soccer player. Joakim’s mother, Cecilia Rodhe, was also Miss Sweden 1978 and finished fifth in the Miss Universe 1978 pageant. Rodhe, who married Yannick in 1984 and separated from him in 1987, knew her son would never escape his father’s shadow if he remained in France. “There was a lot of sacrifice that went into being around somebody that was that popular,” Joakim said. “You’re held in this different social class; people look at you a different way because of what my dad did.” “My father was the most famous person in France,” Joakim harped. “All the ego bulls—, I grew up in that. I was still a kid, and that was what I wanted to be, somebody who had his own name. And as you get older, it’s like, ‘You know what? I have my own kids. I want them to be proud of who they are and what the Noah name represents.'” Joakim would move back to New York City in 1998. He attended three different high schools before heading to the University of Florida. Joakim helped the Florida Gators win back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007. He was named Most Outstanding Player in 2006, and his stock rose tremendously in college. So, when Joakim headed to the pros, the Chicago Bulls selected him with the No. 9 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. He had a bit of a slow start, but eventually blossomed into a star. Joakim had his best years with the Bulls, notably winning that DPOY award in 2014. He would go on to play for the New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Los Angeles Clippers as well. Joakim eventually retired in 2021 with career averages of 8.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. Later that year on Oct. 28, the Bulls hosted a “Joakim Noah Night” and named him an ambassador. To say Joakim has now made a name for himself and stepped out of Yannick’s shadow might be an understatement.