Bulls' Noah: 'Never thought I'd say this, but I'm very excited to go to Cleveland'

Joakim Noah is doing his best to make sure it's loud at The Q for Game 1 on Monday.

With Noah's Chicago Bulls set to visit the Cleveland Cavaliers to kick off what should be an exciting Eastern Conference semifinal series, the curly-haired former Defensive Player of the Year couldn't contain his excitement – or his smart-assery – on Thursday.

"I never thought I'd say this," Noah said, "but I'm very excited to go to Cleveland."

The city of Cleveland is often the butt of jokes, but the return of LeBron James has turned around its sports fortune some. But Noah isn't likely to care much for that detail – this is the guy who called James's Miami Heat "Hollywood as hell," after all.

Noah could stand to have a major impact in the series. While he hasn't quite been himself this season, the Bulls will need their defense operating at full potential, and they have a likely edge in the frontcourt with Kevin Love set to miss the series. Noah's pick-and-roll defense and rim protection could help further limit Cleveland's ability to operate within the confined space a Love-less lineup will create.

The series will almost surely head back to Cleveland a second time for Game 5, and potentially a third time for Game 7. If Noah and the Bulls can take the series – stealing anticipated redemption for the city's sports fans in the process – he may as well relight the Cuyahoga on fire.