The pieces fit perfectly together for Joakim Noah — his longtime worship of Phil Jackson, his years wearing the jerseys of Patrick Ewing and Larry Johnson as a New York City schoolboy, the chance to rejoin his “brother” Derrick Rose and fill the Knicks’ vacant center position.

Noah, the 7-foot former Bull, was in his glory at Friday’s introductory press conference, professing his love for the Big Apple after signing a $72 million contract and listing 72 million reasons why this coming-home scenario makes sense.

“I’m not taking this opportunity for granted,’’ Noah, the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year, said. “This has been a dream of mine since I was 5 years old.”

Noah’s mother, Cecilia, a former Miss Sweden, and his sister, Yelena, a former model and current jewelry maker, both still live in Brooklyn, where he attended Poly Prep. His father is former French tennis star Yannick Noah.

“We’re proud to be from New York,’’ said Noah, who grew up in Hell’s Kitchen. “My parents are divorced, but my father is a proud New Yorker. We all are. Fortunately, his son is playing for the New York Knicks now. This means everything to me. I’m going to do everything to make this special.”

Noah listed several former Knicks players as his heroes — from Ewing to Johnson to Chris Childs to Marcus Camby to Latrell Sprewell.

He said he had many of their jerseys and claimed to be in the Garden the night of Johnson’s miraculous four-point play in the playoffs against the Pacers, and when Michael Jordan dropped 55 on the Knicks in his return from retirement.

“Not following in anyone’s footsteps, but these are the people who shaped me,’’ Noah said. “Those are the people I looked up to. I had their jersey. I had their pictures on my wall.

“Even though none of those guys won a championship, I know what they mean to the city because I’m from here.”

Noah said his connection with Jackson is strong. Yannick had him read all of Jackson’s books when he was a kid.

“And I hate reading books,’’ Noah said.

Noah told a bizarre story about journeying to Montana five years ago to pay an unannounced visit to the then-retired Zen Master at his lakehouse retreat. Noah’s dentist was a Jackson friend and once had put the two together on the phone briefly. Still, Jackson was stunned by Noah arriving at his doorstep.

“I took a plane, went to Montana and I knocked on his door,’’ Noah said. “We started talking. ‘Why are you here?’ [he asked]. I said, ‘I don’t know.’ It was a great couple of days — an opportunity to meet one of the legends and spend time with him. Life works in mysterious ways and now we’re here.”

Jackson had made Noah — not the pipe dream Kevin Durant — his top priority as the Zen Master spread out his cap space between a starting center, starting shooting guard Courtney Lee, sixth man/backup point guard Brandon Jennings and 2015 draft pick, center Willy Hernangomez.

“Joakim is somebody who has been on my list for a long time,’’ Jackson said. “Like to have this guy as a leader with the defensive attitude that he carries and likes to promote. Most players and a lot of coaches recognize this.

“He was initially our first choice in the first-agent market. We have offensive players. We need guys to do the rest of the work what’s behind the scenes or not as noticed. Similar to Robin Lopez last year.”

Noah is a free spirit and often throws an expletive into his conversations to emphasize a point — like the concern about his health after playing just 29 games last season because of shoulder surgery and being limited the year before after offseason knee surgery. Though Noah is just two years removed from finishing fourth in the MVP voting, he doesn’t mind fans worrying about his health.

Noah said he wants to retire a Knick — even if he’s barely able to run by that stage.

“I understand completely,’’ Noah said. “I’ve been injured the last couple of years, and it sucks as an athlete. Trust me, there’s nothing more I want than to be on the court. No matter what anyone writes or says, nobody cares about this s–t more than me. I’m going to be very passionate about this — always have been, always will. This is where I want to end my career until my wheels fall off. This is my path. I won’t have it any other way.’’

Noah met with Jackson, coach Jeff Hornacek and general manager Steve Mills at a posh Disney resort hotel on July 1, but he said his decision was made the moment the Knicks dealt starting center Robin Lopez as part of the deal to bring Rose from Chicago to New York.

“This is my dream situation, this is where I wanted to be when I saw the Derrick Rose trade happened, and we were together [in the NYC clubs]. I was like: ‘Let’s make this happen,’ ” Noah said.

Still, Noah enjoyed his dinner recruitment meeting with brass when he agreed to contract terms.

“He’s really a historian,’’ Noah said of Jackson. “Not just about basketball, but life. Having somebody like that around and being able to talk to him as a basketball player and as a young man growing up in the game, it’s such a blessing.”

Noah said none of this would have happened if the Rose for Lopez deal hadn’t occurred.

“I never would’ve thought he’d have left Chicago,’’ Noah said. “It’s pretty amazing. He was hometown guy showing me around, now he’s on my turf. I get to play with my brother.”

NBA scouts are buzzing that the Knicks — with their primary additions of Rose, Noah, Lee and Jennings — have become players in the East. Noah won’t say how much so.

“I have no idea. I love the makeup, the characters Phil put together,’’ Noah said. “Now it’s on us to jell. Chemistry is everything. Everybody has to take their egos — and what they think it should look like — [and put it] aside. Make the right sacrifices to be the best team possible. That doesn’t always happen. There’s no place I’d rather find out.”