Former Chicago Bulls Center, Joakim Noah, wrote a very moving farewell letter which was posted in the Chicago Tribune.  I have an extra tissue if you need one. -wALT

Thank you, Chicago!!

I moved here nine years ago and quickly got an understanding of what the city was about. Hard work. No nonsense. Grind. Loyalty. Passion. I wanted to represent those qualities every time I stepped onto the court and competed for the Bulls.

Thank you to every teammate I battled with. We won and we lost, but I have love and respect for every single one of you. One day this basketball journey will be over and all we will have are memories. The best times in my life took place on the United Center floor. You are all my brothers.

The relationships I made in Chicago go far beyond basketball, and to me that is just as big as winning the championship. I wish the people in Chicago nothing but the best and I hope we can all continue to be united in bringing some peace to the city. The work to bring people together and build positivity throughout the neighborhood will continue through my foundation and many other great foundations throughout the city that my family and I will stay involved with.

I will continue to do my best to help this city. Chicago is home for the rest of my life, and my dream is still to help make the city a safer place for kids to grow up in.

My journey now brings me home to New York and the team I grew up rooting for as a kid. But nothing has mattered more to me over the past nine years than the city of Chicago, the Chicago Bulls and all of the passionate Bulls fans. There are way too many people to thank individually, but I want to give special thanks to the Reinsdorf family for making me a part of the Chicago Bulls family and everything that that represents.

One love,

Joakim Noah 🙂