"I just wanted to tell him I appreciate him and what he stands for as a coach," Noah said. "I’ve been a fan of his for a really long time, even though I loved the Knicks as a kid and he used to kick the Knicks’ ass.

"My father always made me read his books. I read ‘Sacred Hoops.’ And one of the books he used to make his players read, ‘The Peaceful Warrior’ by Dan Millman, my father made me read that when I was younger. I just wanted to share that with him.

"(Bulls director of player development) Randy Brown tells me stories about Phil and everything I hear about him is just so positive. I wanted to tell him I was a fan of his."