a écrit le 4 avril 2006 à 20h11 Noah Shows He's No. 1
By Michael Wilbon
Tuesday, April 4, 2006;
INDIANAPOLIS We had better grow accustomed very quickly to seeing Joakim Noah, the way we grew accustomed to seeing Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon play in the big games. Maybe it'll be in college again; Noah, after all, is only a sophomore.
Perhaps he'll never be as dominant as those other giants, both of whom made multiple appearances in the Final Four. But Noah does have something Ewing has and Olajuwon doesn't: an NCAA championship. UCLA had nobody who could match his performance or passion, and the result was a 73-57 Florida victory.
The kid with the French Open champion for a father and the Swedish beauty queen for a mother, led the Florida Gators to their first NCAA basketball championship here Monday night. He scored 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds, blocked six shots, handed out three assists, energized his teammates, demoralized UCLA, handled the ball in pressure situations and, in general, looked like a new-age giant, a player who influences the game in various ways.
Any team that has the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft and doesn't take Noah, should he make himself available in the coming weeks, would be unbelievably dumb.
He was the MVP of this championship game, and there didn't need to be a vote. The ayes have it when it comes to this kid. He did all the obvious stuff, such as finish and block shots, and the subtle things, too, such as deliver the sweetest entry passes and set jarring screens. With good health and the fanatic work ethic he has already exhibited, the heavens are the limit for this kid, who is only a sophomore in college and the son of a professional athlete but nonetheless will feel the tug of tens of millions of dollars and the fame that will be calling him from the professional level.
Noah swears he isn't ready for the NBA yet, but after this tournament, don't listen to him. This kid has played his final college game, in all probability. If his offense gets no better in the next two years than it is now, which is below average, he would still have a huge impact in the pro game with his defense, passing and the sheer energy he puts forth during a game.
Usually, I'm a stay-in-school guy. Most of these kids aren't half as good as they think they are, especially the ones with too many sycophant buddies and gold-digging family members. Noah, on the other hand, is that rare kid who is better than he thinks he is. Of course, he could add som
By Michael Wilbon
Tuesday, April 4, 2006;
INDIANAPOLIS We had better grow accustomed very quickly to seeing Joakim Noah, the way we grew accustomed to seeing Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon play in the big games. Maybe it'll be in college again; Noah, after all, is only a sophomore.
Perhaps he'll never be as dominant as those other giants, both of whom made multiple appearances in the Final Four. But Noah does have something Ewing has and Olajuwon doesn't: an NCAA championship. UCLA had nobody who could match his performance or passion, and the result was a 73-57 Florida victory.
The kid with the French Open champion for a father and the Swedish beauty queen for a mother, led the Florida Gators to their first NCAA basketball championship here Monday night. He scored 16 points, grabbed nine rebounds, blocked six shots, handed out three assists, energized his teammates, demoralized UCLA, handled the ball in pressure situations and, in general, looked like a new-age giant, a player who influences the game in various ways.
Any team that has the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft and doesn't take Noah, should he make himself available in the coming weeks, would be unbelievably dumb.
He was the MVP of this championship game, and there didn't need to be a vote. The ayes have it when it comes to this kid. He did all the obvious stuff, such as finish and block shots, and the subtle things, too, such as deliver the sweetest entry passes and set jarring screens. With good health and the fanatic work ethic he has already exhibited, the heavens are the limit for this kid, who is only a sophomore in college and the son of a professional athlete but nonetheless will feel the tug of tens of millions of dollars and the fame that will be calling him from the professional level.
Noah swears he isn't ready for the NBA yet, but after this tournament, don't listen to him. This kid has played his final college game, in all probability. If his offense gets no better in the next two years than it is now, which is below average, he would still have a huge impact in the pro game with his defense, passing and the sheer energy he puts forth during a game.
Usually, I'm a stay-in-school guy. Most of these kids aren't half as good as they think they are, especially the ones with too many sycophant buddies and gold-digging family members. Noah, on the other hand, is that rare kid who is better than he thinks he is. Of course, he could add som
