Joakim Noah and Kevin Garnett squash longtime beef

All’s well that ends well for these two greats.

© Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bulls fan favorite Joakim Noah was as fiery a player as any in the entire NBA. His no-nonsense and no-holds-barred approach to playing basketball, especially on the defensive end of the floor, helped propel the Bulls to numerous runs in the NBA Playoffs. It also rubbed some people the wrong way. One NBA legend that Noah had a legitimate beef with was Kevin Garnett.

An equally ferocious competitor, KG was someone you didn't want to make friends with in the heat of battle, which was what Noah tried to do as a rookie during a break in action. As hyper-focused as he was back in the day, KG gave Noah a mouthful that he would never forget.

Bygones be bygones

Fast forward to the present, and both are now retired from the NBA. The two recently linked up on KG's show, "KG Certified," and spoke about the incident that led to their years-long beef. Garnett explained that he had let his competitiveness grab hold of him, leading him to respond to Noah that way.

"I was trying to destroy your will," Garnett relayed to Noah. "But never in another stratosphere would I ever thought that you were a fan of mine. So, I come today, and I say, I apologize for killing that light, my brother."

On the court it’s war, but off it’s a brotherhood. Honored to share this moment with @JoakimNoah 🫡💯 https://t.co/FRsxp6ZkwY

— Kevin Garnett (@KevinGarnett5KG) May 21, 2023

Take a lot of pride in being an OG

Garnett added that he took a lot of pride in being someone young players could turn to for guidance. KG played 21 seasons in the NBA and could consistently dig deep into his wealth of experience to provide guidance and advice to players who needed it.

"I take a lot of pride in being a big brother to all the young guys, you know what I'm saying. But in the form of what we were in, competing, that's what it was and I understood it coming from you too. But I just want you to know I recognized your genius. I saw it and I respected it," KG added.