Did you know it was Joakim Noah’s birthday on Wednesday?  A millionaire NBA player, near New York (they were playing in New Jersey that night), with a history getting into trouble, on his 24th birthday.  Sounds like a recipe for a crazy night filled with strippers, booze and possibly worse (or better), right?  Wrong.  In fact, Noah almost missed the team bus after the game because he had to deal with his crappy post-game birthday celebration:

You see, even though they don’t play again until Friday, the Bulls were flying to Washington immediately after the game in New Jersey (in no small part to meet President Obama today).

So, instead of a big night in Manhattan, Joakim Noah’s posse settled for watching him sit on the bench during the crucial stretch of a loss to a mediocre team. After hearing from Coach Del Negro, and getting changed, Noah and family gathered for a quiet ten minutes of present opening in section 114 of the nearly deserted Izod Center.

As the stadium crews mopped up the spilled popcorn and sticky soda spills, Noah, his parents, some friends and other relatives, including a flock of siblings right down to toddler age, handed around gift bags.

A belt. A coffee table book or two: One about Barack Obama, and another with black and white photography of  people with dreadlocks. Some funny and surprisingly great-looking for-fashion-only eyeglasses. A little bag that said something about underwear. Things, in other words, from nice New York City boutiques. Noah was making the Christmas faces: “Oh, great. I love this!” He put on one of the belts, wore the glasses the whole time, and carried the underwear bag to the bus with him. The books — heavy to travel with — went home with others.

His younger siblings looked on eagerly, with present-envy.

The clock was ticking. A bus was waiting.

Joakim sa[id] his familial goodbyes, and ma[d]e his way towards the aisle.

Where was instantly surrounded by people who waited some time for an autograph or a photo.

“He’s going to get fined for this, for sure.”

From section 114, you could not see the Bulls’ bus, likely loaded with every Bull but the birthday boy, but you could feel it.

Noah looked at the crowd knotted around him, and started signing with gusto. He likes to make people happy. He interacts with kids and babies. Working fast, he signed and signed and smiled and posed.

Wow.  I guess the question “What do you buy for a millionaire that can basically buy anything?” was answered with underwear, glasses and a belt.  Worst birthday ever.

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Tags: Birthday, Joakim Noah