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Noah reflects on Bulls tenure, plans to end career on own terms

David Sherman / National Basketball Association / Getty

Joakim Noah's best playing days came in a Chicago Bulls uniform. During his nine seasons in the Windy City, Noah was a two-time All-Star and was named Defensive Player of the Year for the 2013-14 campaign.

The 33-year-old is grateful for the relationships he built with his Bulls teammates and reflected on those memories ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies' clash with Chicago on Wednesday.

"Those guys are my brothers for life," Noah said, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "I think there are some championship teams that don't even have that kind of bond. It's a special bond. I'm happy to see my old teammates doing well. To me, that's almost as important as winning a championship."

Noah made playoff appearances in seven of his nine seasons with the Bulls, including a run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2010-11. The veteran center signed a four-year, $72-million deal with the New York Knicks in the 2016 offseason.

But Noah's stay in the Big Apple was a disappointing one. He was suspended 20 games for taking performance-enhancing drugs, battled injuries, and had a feud with then-head coach Jeff Hornacek.

The big man was waived by the Knicks in October and signed with the Grizzlies a few months later. While he's not happy about the way things ended in New York, Noah feels he has a chance to finish his career on his own terms.

"I didn't want to leave the game like that," Noah said, according to Johnson. "I've worked too hard my whole life. I've always been somebody who loves basketball, loves to compete. I wanted to find that again."

"I worked my a-- off to be in this position," he added. "There's always people comparing me to what it was or you're not as good as you used to be. But that's not what it is for me. I have my kids. My daughter is able to watch me play. I can end this thing on my note."

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