Joakim Noah’s relationship with tennis is as unique as it gets.
In fact, it is so special that the NBA legend credits tennis' leading icon Arthur Ashe for being where he is today.
Noah, son of former professional tennis player Yannick Noah, shared how his “privileged” upbringing paved the way for his extraordinary basketball career.
"Tennis is part of who I am," Joakim Noah said at the U.S. Open’s Emirates Suite on Wednesday night. "Even though it's a different sport than basketball, I learned a lot of who I am through tennis."
Noah, 39, a two-time NBA All-Star with the Chicago Bulls, shared how his father began his tennis journey with a wooden paddle in the small African country of Cameroon. During Arthur Ashe’s workshops in the region, he spotted the 10-year-old Yannick Noah experimenting with the sport and invited him to train at the French Tennis Federation’s center in Nice in 1971.
The journey didn’t end there. After years of rigorous training in France, Yannick received a remarkable opportunity from Arthur Ashe to play doubles with him at Wimbledon when he was just 16.
“Without Arthur Ashe’s opportunity, I wouldn't be a kid who grew up in New York City and got to live out my dreams as a basketball player,” Joakim said.
Joakim remembers observing his father's intense work ethic day in and day out. The part that stood out most to him was the endurance training -- something the basketball star translated into his own sport.
"I grew up a privileged kid," Joakim said. "My relationship with tennis was a little bit different because it was the work ethic and the training and the things behind the scenes that made me who I was."
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. >Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
Joakim was in attendance for NBA night at the U.S. Open with Emirates — the official airline sponsor of the Grand Slam and partner of the basketball league.
He joined NBA star and analyst Jalen Rose and tennis legend James Blake in a suite inspired by the airline’s revamped fleet, engaging in a candid conversation about competing in major sporting events.
“Every time I come here [Arthur Ashe Stadium], it's a real humbling moment for me and my family because I know what that meant to us,” Joakim said.
