Joakim Noah wins J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
Joakim Noah may occasionally be a menace on the court, but off it, he's a diligent, caring and upstanding member of the community.
The Chicago Bulls center and reigning Defensive Player of the Year was rewarded for all his off-court efforts with the 2014-15 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, which is "presented annually by the Professional Basketball Writers Association to the player, coach or athletic trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to the community."
Noah has been a strong voice against violence in crime-addled Chicago, making inroads with the city's youth through his Noah’s Arc Foundation. Last summer, he launched his #ChicagoStandUp campaign - aimed at promoting unity and curbing gun violence - with a stirring public service announcement, and hosted a basketball tournament that brought together young men from the south and west sides of the city.
Noah also produced an anti-violence video titled "You’re Not Alone" that aired in March, featuring him and several of his teammates talking first-hand about the dangers of a violent lifestyle.
The day the video aired, Noah played a game in which he took a cheap-shot foul, and surprised many by walking away rather than engaging in a scuffle.
"I’m happy I kept my composure," Noah said after the game. "You know, I was just trying to put out a video just a couple hours before the game about non-violence. And I’m trying to teach these kids big-picture (thinking), you know what I mean? So it wouldn’t have been a good look. Not today. Not today, you know what I mean? Not today."
"Joakim’s initiatives to slow the violence in Chicago should inspire us all to help in our communities," said PBWA President Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. "His creative, sustained efforts stood out in perhaps the deepest pool of worthy candidates in the 41-year history of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award."
"It's great because it brings awareness to what we’re doing," Noah said of winning the award. "But that’s it. I know there’s a lot of work to do."
The other finalists for the award were Tobias Harris, Greg Monroe, Chris Paul and Zach Randolph.