While it might not be the virtually sporting part of professional basketball game, trash-talking is simply role of life on the hardwood. Over the course of their career, but about every NBA player will run across an opponent who runs their mouth. For Joakim Noah, that moment arrived during his rookie twelvemonth when he crossed paths with Kevin Garnett.

Although KG was known every bit a fearless competitor who was willing to push button the envelope, the young Chicago Bulls big human still got more than than he bargained for. Since Noah had grown upwardly watching the Big Ticket, he was crushed by the veteran's trash talk.

Kevin Garnett gave Joakim Noah a rude welcome to the NBA

Every rookie, regardless of their star status, will eventually have a "welcome to the NBA" moment. During the 2007-08 campaign, Joakin Noah received a less than warm welcome from the Garnett.

"Once, he asked Noah if he could rub through his hair, similar a female or something," Paul Pierce recalled in a Bleacher Study oral history. "And I know that kind of fabricated [Noah] hot."

While it'southward understandable why Noah didn't capeesh that remark — gendered insults are never cool, fifty-fifty in the heat of competition — things nonetheless got worse for the young center. As the cliche says, it can be a less-than-ideal feel to meet your hero in person.

"And this was when Noah was a rookie, likewise," Pierce continued. "I retrieve Noah looked upwards to KG. He was like, 'Man, KG, I had your poster on my wall, I looked upwards to y'all, man." Then [Garnett] merely said something like that and was like 'F— yous, Noah.' I was like, 'Whoa.' This kid, fresh out of higher, looks upwards to KG, just said he had his affiche on the wall, and he tells him that! It crushed him. It crushed Noah."

During an appearance on Pardon My Accept (H/T NBC Sports), Noah shared his own account of the interaction, which was a scrap more than vulgar.

"I just wanted to say something to my idol, and he but looked over like, 'Yo, who the f— y'all talking to? Who the f— do you recall you're talking to,'" the center remembered. "When he said that, I was like, 'oh s— I shouldn't have said that.'"

Returning the favor past trash-talking KG

Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls and Kevin Garnett of the Brooklyn Nets position themselves for a rebound.
Joakim Noah (L) and Kevin Garnett (R) battle for a rebound. | Al Bello/Getty Images

While those initial comments may have stung Noah, he didn't exactly slink off with his tail between his legs. A few years afterward, he told the world exactly how he felt virtually Garnett.

"I had his poster in my room," Noah explained, according to a 2010 ESPN write-up. "I used to habiliment his jersey. And the truth is my rookie year, I was in admiration of this guy, and he kind of shut me down. … And he was very mean to me my rookie twelvemonth. And he'southward only mean to the young guys and the [European players], for some reason. I don't know why, merely that'due south who he doesn't like. He's not squeamish. I talk a lot of trash out there, but c'mon, exist a picayune sensitive. Exist sweet."

During the interview, the eye also called KG "a very hateful guy" and added that he was "ugly, as well."

"I don't like him," Noah simply said in the coup de grace.

Joakim Noah did eventually credit Kevin Garnett for changing his career, though

In fairness to Noah, it'southward impossible to glean his tone from the write-up of an interview. ESPN did notation that the forrard fabricated a comment well-nigh not sending Garnett a Christmas souvenir "with a tinge of humour." We practice know, all the same, that he eventually came to view that initial run across with the veteran as a significant moment in his basketball life.

"It inverse my career," Noah explained on Pardon My Accept. "That moment changed my career considering from that moment, on I learned that there is no love in battle, and this is competition. At the finish of the day, I'm trying to rip your f—— head off, you're trying to rip my head off, allow's go. I'grand trying to win simply as bad as you're trying to win. I'grand not trying to make no friends. That moment right in that location changed everything."

While he never quite developed into a superstar, Noah did put together a solid professional person career. He spent 13 seasons in the Clan, averaging eight.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per outing; the center besides made two NBA All-Star Games and earned the 2014 NBA Defensive Actor of the Year title.

Who knows? Maybe none of that would take been possible without Kevin Garnett'southward vulgar welcome to the league.

Stats courtesy of Basketball game-Reference.

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