http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/743422,noah011608.article

Joakim Noah said whoever leaked a story about his Tuesday confrontation with Ben Wallace in the Bulls' locker room is dividing the team. Noah, speaking on WSCR-AM (670), denied a confrontation took place.

Two newspapers reported Noah and Wallace had to be separated by Luol Deng in the visiting locker room in Orlando. The clash apparently was sparked by the antics of Wallace during the Bulls' loss to the Magic. At one point, with the Bulls losing by 28, television cameras picked up Wallace laughing on the bench.

‘‘You know what makes me mad, that somebody actually said and told you guys that there was a situation,'' Noah told WSCR's Mike North from the Bulls' team hotel in Miami, where they play tonight. ‘‘That's what makes me mad. That's the only reason why I'm doing this right now. Otherwise I wouldn't be doing it.

‘‘For people to say we've had a clash ... this is the kind of stuff that divides a team. You guys write these stories and hype things up. It's crazy.''

Expect Noah to try to find out the source of the story, but it's safe to say there are going to be more hard feelings on the team. Noah's still upset that his teammates extended his one-game benching to two games after his verbal altercation with assistant coach Ron Adams last Friday in Philadelphia. Wallace was one of the players who called for the meeting to vote on extending Noah's penalty.

‘‘What makes me mad is there was no media when this stuff happened [in Orlando],'' Noah told WSCR, although he previously said nothing happened. ‘‘So I don't understand, who's telling you guys this?''

North quoted accounts from the paper that Deng separated Noah from Wallace.

‘‘What?'' Noah asked, then laughed. ‘‘No way.''

Noah went to say he has no problems with Wallace, who is nicknamed ‘‘Body.''

‘‘I think the media has been really tough the last couple of days,'' Noah told North. ‘‘I think ... first of all there was no clash.

‘‘We're grown ass men. This happens. This stuff happens. ... At the same time, I feel there isn't a clash with me and Body. We're close.

‘‘We're losing, so it's always tough,'' Noah continued. ‘‘Guys are going to speak their minds. I made a mistake [with Adams] and all I want to do is win. That's all I want to say. I want to tell the people that I messed up. But I learned from my experience and I'm going to move on. Sometimes you learn from tough things and you move on.''

Noah is a rookie and needs to know his role. This kid has got some serious balls. If his teammates hate him, just imagine what opponents think about him.

I want him... Al Horford said a lot of his problems come from the fact that he cares about winning, perhaps too much. That is apparently what is rubbing the guys the wrong way... Horford also said that once you get used to that, he's all right. To me, that means his UF teammates didn't like him at first until they started really winning.

That would be a more than welcomed "problem" on this team.

Posted by tkf:

Posted by SupremeCommander:

I want him... Al Horford said a lot of his problems come from the fact that he cares about winning, perhaps too much. That is apparently what is rubbing the guys the wrong way... Horford also said that once you get used to that, he's all right. To me, that means his UF teammates didn't like him at first until they started really winning.

That would be a more than welcomed "problem" on this team.

he and curry would be fighting every game......

HhHa...
You mean Eddy will cry in the toilet each day...

Joe is a great kid and all he wants to do is win. He has high character and is very emotional he is one of my all time favorites.

Posted by bitty41:

Posted by Cookdcokehop:

I dream of a Lee and Noah frontcourt

Uhhh you mean for a College team right?

Better than Zeddy.

Posted by bitty41:

Uhh no Noah wears a freaking scrunchie nuff said

Okay so you don't think he's as cute (or whatever) as Zach the rapist, but still you have to admit that not having Zeddy would be a big win.

Posted by bitty41:

Never Noah if we could get the other Florida cuties Al Horford I would be all for that with David Lee (with hair cut)

Oh dear, you just referred to male basketball players as cuties. The world will now implode.

The last time I heard such cutsie talk is when I tried to watch a few WNBA games and one of the announcers called a layup a "bunny". At which point I realized that it was time to stop watching the WNBA. On the other hand, someone needs to post some pictures of WNBA females to sanitize the dreadful thought of "Florida cuties".

Posted by tkf:

Posted by SupremeCommander:

I want him... Al Horford said a lot of his problems come from the fact that he cares about winning, perhaps too much. That is apparently what is rubbing the guys the wrong way... Horford also said that once you get used to that, he's all right. To me, that means his UF teammates didn't like him at first until they started really winning.

That would be a more than welcomed "problem" on this team.

he and curry would be fighting every game......

Now that made me laugh.

Anyway, TKF it's nice to see you're fully back on the Knicks bandwagon.