Jeff Zillgitt

USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah has evolved into skilled star%2C earned MVP consideration in process

Fiery veteran still runs hot at times%2C drawing technical fouls%3B %22I put so much into it%2C%22 he says

Noah watched video of father Yannick winning 1983 French Open recently%2C saw many parallels

CHICAGO — Joakim Noah walked into his house after taking his dog to the park and plopped down on a chair in his living room. The room is filled with art created by his mother and a family friend. The art symbolizes life and energy, a perfect metaphor for the guy whose energetic passion for living is on display during every Chicago Bulls game.

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, the Bulls' All-Star center was reminded he once said, "I'm not a very skilled player. I'm not talented."

"I used to say I'm not gifted, but I take that back," Noah told USA TODAY Sports. "I feel more and more gifted, and I'm feeling more and more confident in what I'm doing and I feel I can still get better."

That confidence and belief in his abilities and on-court production has thrust Noah into the MVP discussion, an idea that would have seemed preposterous two seasons ago but a notion supported by coaches, including the Bulls' Tom Thibodeau and Boston Celtics' Brad Stevens.

"It's interesting because he has made small steps. It's been incremental," Thibodeau said. "And sometimes you don't realize it until you look back and think about where he is today vs. where he was four years. It's significant."

With his endearing emotion and endless energy on the court, Noah is an unorthodox MVP candidate. He barely cracks the top 100 in scoring (12.5 points a game) but is sixth in rebounding (11.1), 25th in assists (5.2), 12th in blocks (1.5) and 42nd in steals (1.2).

His game is the combination of many offensive and defensive skills, and he has been invaluable to the 45-32 Bulls who are in position to finish in the top four of the Eastern Conference and have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, mostly without injured Derrick Rose and traded Luol Deng.

"The basketball season, the Bulls, it's everything to me," Noah said.

One needs to look no further than a play in a recent victory against the Indiana Pacers to see that. Noah defended center Roy Hibbert, forced a missed shot and grabbed a rebound. He let out a primal scream.

Later in the game, he walked to the sideline and encouraged fans to get into it. Noah feeds off the crowd, the crowd feeds off Noah and United Center becomes one big circle of flowing energy.

"He's a character," Thibodeau said.

In a wide-ranging interview with USA TODAY Sports, Noah explained the root of his passion (his parents), his bond with Bulls guard Derrick Rose ("He's real"), his sometimes contentious but always grateful relationship with Thibodeau ("Me and coach butt heads all the time") and his desire to improve the lives of Chicagoans through philanthropic work ("There's a lot of hardship in this city").

"I see a young man who is developing into who he really is," his mother, Cecilia Rodhe, said. "He's growing into his consciousness and awareness of being responsible and being a leader and being dedicated not only to his passion for playing basketball but also for his dream and I respect that."

GENETIC PASSION: Noah was born to compete

Inside Noah's house in the Chicago suburbs, pictures of his mom and dad holding him when he was child are prominently displayed.

His father is former professional tennis player Yannick Noah of France, and Rodhe is a former model and Miss Sweden 1978. Noah admits the passion for the things he does stems from both parents but in different ways.

During a recent Bulls game on TV, a courtside reporter interviewed Yannick as play continued on the court. A father's pure joy was on display as Yannick smiled, cheered and clapped as his son grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled.

If you ever watched the elder Noah play tennis, you see where Joakim's passion comes from. Two summers ago, the son watched his father's 1983 French Open final victory against Mats Wilander.

"I was just surprised. I saw so many similarities in the way he played tennis and the way I play basketball," Noah said. "He was very aggressive in his approach and the way he played, and played with a fire that you didn't see often. He got the crowd into it and pumped up."

Noah spent a majority of his teen years living with his mom in New York City after spending ages 3 to 13 in Paris. She nurtured a his mellow, compassionate side while appreciating his love of basketball as kid.

"It marvels me to see that same passion that made him wake me to make sure he went to practice," Rodhe said. "He has that same fire today as he had back then. Passion is a wonderful, marvelous thing. The fire has been enhanced, and it's beautiful to watch."

Most of the time, the passion manifests in positive ways. Sometimes, it does not, as reflected in his 10 technical fouls this season, tied for ninth-most in the league.

He was ejected from a playoff game against the Heat last season and in February he was ejected after two calls didn't go his way against the Sacramento Kings.

Noah works on controlling those emotions. But …

"I take losing really hard, and I really enjoy winning. On the court, I'm an emotional roller-coaster," He said. "I'm definitely somebody who deals with a lot of ups and downs on the court. I put so much into it."

In telling symmetry, guess who else has 10 technical fouls this season? Thibodeau. They are not cut from the same cloth, but their desire to win is equal. Oddly, they are a perfect player-coach match, the free-spirited Noah and the buttoned-up Thibodeau.

"Our coach is the hungriest person I've ever been around in my life. Period," Noah said. "I've never met somebody who is as competitive as Tom Thibodeau. He wants to win as bad as anybody I've ever been around."

Thibodeau is demanding. It's one reason he is able to extract so much production from his roster. Preparation and effort — Thibodeau's hallmarks — make it tough to beat them.

"The biggest thing is he wants to win," Thibodeau said. "Anybody who is serious about winning you're going to enjoy coaching."

Of course, that passion leads to conflict, such as Thibodeau getting on Noah for not rotating on defense or not making the right play on offense.

"He treats every situation like it's a Game 7. It's non-stop," Noah said. "Sometimes, I'm not like that. Sometimes for players, it can't be Game 7 all the time. And at the same time, you still have to be pushed by your coach, and I understand that.

"I have great respect for him because I know how much he puts into it. … I know I wouldn't be in the position I'm in today if it wasn't him."

CENTER-PLUS: Noah's role expands from paint

Noah is one of the best centers in the league, and his offensive improvement this season has been marked, especially in his role as a distributor and playmaker. He is averaging career highs in points and assists and is tied for second in the league with three triple-doubles.

Pacers coach Frank Vogel called him a point-center.

"He's got the ball in his hands a lot more," Vogel said. "He's obviously a triple-double threat every night. That's probably the biggest difference. Not that he wasn't capable of doing that last year. With Derrick out, their running their offense through him."

Noah leads his team in assists (a rarity for a center), leads all NBA centers in assists and leads all players in assists in the fourth quarter, more than guards John Wall, Chris Paul and Stephen Curry.

"He's been their second point guard," Hibbert said. "He pushes the pace. He gets people involved. He's their floor general out there even at the center position and you don't see that a lot."

With gangly limbs, long hair and scraggly facial hair, Noah is awkwardly versatile. He's not the greatest dribbler, but there is Noah, rebounding and going coast to coast for a layup. He's not the greatest shooter, but there he is taking and making a 16-footer with a knuckleball shot only Noah can love. He's not a flashy passer, but there he is bouncing a perfect pass to a player cutting to the basket.

"If people sit on his pass, he's comfortable," Thibodeau said. "He can put it on the floor and score. He can post it. He can shoot the 15-, 16-footer and he's making much quicker decisions."

Noah gives Rose credit for helping him improve. With Rose sidelined because of injuries, he encouraged Noah to be more aggressive, take more shots and pass with the idea that it will lead to a basket.

"Those are things I probably wouldn't have done a couple of years ago," Noah said. "With Derrick going down, I'm more comfortable making plays now than I ever was and I'm getting the ball a lot more.

Noah has a deep appreciation for Rose. As Rose has missed all but 10 games of the past two seasons, Noah has been his staunchest supporter, defending him at every chance. He loves the idea of playing with Rose in the city where Rose grew up. He loves being a part of that dynamic. He shares that connection between Rose and city.

"He's true to himself, and he's a worker. He's grinder. I've been with him since the beginning, and I've gotten to see him grow," Noah said. "Taking basketball away from him, there's nothing tougher. To be out for two years, to have the mental strength he's had through the rehab process. I see him workout out every day just grinding his ass off. I respect that.

"I can't wait until he gets back."

Because of inclination to help others and because of Rose's Chicago roots, Noah is active in charitable causes. He and Rodhe started Noah's Arc Foundation which encourages children to strengthen personal identity through art and sports. His mother handles the art, and Noah handles the sports.

"He has a strong commitment to his community," Rodhe said. "The foundation is an important factor that keeps him grounded and keeps it real. Giving back and being engaged in the needs of where he lives is something that gives him strength and gives him a strong sense of balance."

Noah is also active with the Peace Tournament, an event which brings gangs together in an attempt to foster peace and reduce violence and murder. He became involved after watching a documentary about Chicago's violence called The Interrupters.

Attending the Peace Tournament was "probably the most powerful thing I've ever been a part of it," Noah said. "I want to something impactful in Chicago and try to slow down the violence. That's something I'm really interested in. That's one of my focuses.

"It's all about balance at the end of the day — doing things to help this city, being involved in the community and being the best I can be on the basketball court and finding time to get on beach and drink a Corona."