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Come Fan with UsTuesday, June 23, 2026

Try To Figure Out How Joakim Noah Feels About Kevin Garnett

Last year, the most exciting and hotly contested NBA playoff series was Boston and Chicago’s round 1 matchup. And since “hotly contested” might be Kevin Garnett’s middle name, a reporter decided to ask Garnett’s opponent from that series, Joakim Noah, about the elbow Garnett threw during last night’s Game 1.

↵But we’re having a hard time deciphering Noah’s cryptic, vague response. Anyone have any idea what he’s getting at here?

↵↵“I’m going to say it: He’s a dirty player,” Noah said following Bulls practice Sunday.

↵Asked if he felt Garnett should be suspended, Noah went even stronger with his criticism.

↵“I don’t make the decisions,” Noah said. “But he’s always swinging elbows man. I’m hurting right now because of an elbow he threw. It’s unbelievable. He’s a dirty player. It’s one thing to be competitive and compete. But don’t be a dirty player man. He’s a dirty player.

↵“He knows what he’s doing,” Noah said. “It’s messed up. It’s wrong. It’s not right. And then after that to say . . . whatever I shouldn’t even be talking about this stuff. It’s crazy.”

↵↵

See? No idea how to read that one. He says "he's a dirty player" three times, but what does that really mean? Because "dirty" is pejorative, but "player" isn't. So we're going to assume he means "I have a great deal of respect for Kevin Garnett as a competitor." Because he probably does.

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