The "African Viking", as he loves to call himself because of his Cameroonian and Swedish origins, Joakim Noah finally joined the National Team for a couple of weeks during preparations for the EuroBasket 2009 qualification campaign. He was so impressive that when he had to return to Chicago late in July 2009, every player, coach and basketball fan in France started to hate the Bulls when the franchise preferred to have him lift weights and take part in charity dinners rather than improving his skills with the National Team. He has always said the French National Team is "in his heart" and after years waiting, fans are eager to see action rather than words. A double NCAA Champion with Florida, Joakim had two tough NBA seasons, marked by a fight with team-mate Ben Wallace and a team suspension following an argument with an assistant coach. But since then, he's been the heart of the Bulls and one of the main reasons for the club's improvement. He graduated with a degree in anthropology from Florida and possesses a very strong and charismatic personality and isn't afraid to criticise his fellow NBA stars.