I knew very little about the Pilsen neighborhood and even less about the specific location I was headed. However, as I sat in the backseat of the Grey Toyota Highlander at around 7:35 on Tuesday night, I envisioned something rather grand.
Joakim Noah was hosting a private screening of his new travel show NOMAD. The project by NBAT2, an entertainment company backed by both the NBA and Take-Two Media Interactive, is the organization’s first original series. The premise of the show is simple: Noah travels around the world to learn more about basketball’s impact on a wide variety of cultures. And where the journey began should come as no surprise.
The first episode follows Noah around his former home of Chicago. Despite spending nine years building his legacy with the Bulls franchise, Noah shares some brutal honesty to kick the series off: “Even though Chicago is where I gave it all on the court, I barely know the city itself. It’s time to change that,” he says in the series introduction.
Noah proceeds to phone up hometown hero Derrick Rose. The two chop it up about the beauty of the city, as well as their individual growth beyond the basketball court. It’s a reunion that will warm the hearts of even the grinchest Chicago sports fans. Likewise, it’s a perfect reminder of why the city resonates so heavily with both natives and outsiders.
Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls – (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)Knowing that, I think you may understand the lavish expectations I had as I sat in the back of an Uber. A former NBA superstar and DPOY was throwing a celebration of the city he came to love. And his former MVP teammate was expected to be in attendance. How could there not be a line out the door and security galore?
You could imagine my surprise as I pulled up in front of Vault Gallarie near the corner of Laflin and 21st. The space was barely bigger than a studio apartment, and the many photos that were hanging on the wall were held up by green painter’s tape. A fold-out screen stood against one wall with a projector placed on a cart in front of it. A table for some Hennessey cocktails was along the opposing wall. A DJ stood with his equipment along the side.
While Noah’s six-foot-eleven frame is always impossible to miss, he shockingly didn’t stick out like a sore thumb. He was comfortably mingling with the many guests whom he clearly knew personally. And to those few who didn’t know him, myself included, Noah acted like he did.
When Rose arrived, the two spent time in the corner giggling and glancing at the hanging photos. It was in that moment that I realized everything advertised about their tight bond – the kind that Bulls fans want them to have – was absolutely true. It was also in that moment that I realized my prior expectations were ridiculous.
Why would there have been pagentry? Noah has never been one for the theatrics. I know that may sound crazy to say about someone who isn’t afraid to call the best team in the league “Hollywood as hell” and so openly shares his least favorite vacation spot. But that’s always been genuinely Noah. This is what made him such a lovable and gifted player. He was an ultimate competitor and an ultimate teammate. It was never about how you got the job done as long as you got it done. It was always about the finished product.
You could see and feel this same mindset in Vault Gallarie. The show was supposed to speak for itself, and a soft-spoken Noah essentially said as much as he briefly shared his pride in the project with the intimate crowd. As clips from throughout the season played, he didn’t take his eyes off the screen nor let the smile leave his face.
You can watch a brief recap of Joakim Noah’s event via my TikTok video below …
@elias_schuster Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose reunited in Chicago! #Chicago #Chicagobulls #NBA #Illinois #chicagotiktok ♬ Cozy Day (Lofi) – The Machinist BeatsThe more I think about the event and the show itself, the more I find it to be a perfect encapsulation of Noah and the career he has built. Whether it be on the United Center court or in Nine Mile, Jamaica, Noah is rarely thinking about himself. Instead, he is thinking about the game he loves and all the people it’s helped touch. And this includes myself.
As the crowd started to dwindle shortly after 10:00 p.m. CT, I quickly tapped Noah on the arm. Before I could even clarify that our paths had never crossed, he was already dapping me up and pulling me in for the embrace. Very few times in my life have I felt small at six-foot-three. I briefly told him that he seemed like a perfect fit for the show, to which he dapped me up again, shared his appreciation, and expressed a desire to do more.
Finally, I told him that for as much as he means to the city, it’s even more special to see how much the city means to him. One more dap and hug later, I walked out the door and boarded my Uber home. The event may not have been grand, but it shouldn’t have been any other way.
The first episode of NOMAD is out now on the NBAT2 YouTube channel. Keep an eye out for more of Joakim Noah’s travels.
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