Former Bulls DPOY recounts initial days of his beef with "arrogant" LeBron James

LeBron James has had many rivals over the years, including former Chicago Bulls star Joakim Noah. The one-time Defensive Player of the Year recently doubled down on his beef with "The King." Noah even called him "arrogant" while explaining his disdain for the NBA legend.

Speaking on the Out The Mud podcast with Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, Allen asked Noah about the origins of his feud with James. The 39-year-old former player revealed that it started with the four-time MVP's arrogance and he was not interested in any of it.

"My issue was I felt like, he was obviously the best player in the NBA, but he was arrogant," Noah said. "He's a stunter. There were moments where you're down by 20 points, you shoot a free throw with your left hand, dancing all over the court. I wasn't feeling it. I let it be known that I wasn't feeling none of this sh*t."

Joakim Noah was the heart and soul of the Chicago Bulls in the 2010s, battling LeBron James and his teams in the playoffs. Derrick Rose appeared ready to take over the Eastern Conference, but injuries prevented him from challenging "The Heatles" at their peak.

Noah faced James in the postseason four times in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2015. The 2010 and 2015 series were against the Cavaliers, while 2011 and 2013 were against the Miami Heat. He lost all four series against "The King," so it's not really a contest.

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Joakim Noah admits beef with LeBron James is not settled

Joakim Noah admits beef with LeBron James is not settled. (Photo: IMAGN)

Speaking on The OGs podcast with Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem last year, Joakim Noah revealed that he has not spoken to LeBron James regarding ending their beef. Noah admitted that he was not ready to end because of how intense their rivalry was, especially in Cleveland

"No, we haven't," Noah said, according to Basket News. "This sh*t is deep because still, to this day, it hits different. When I see somebody from Cleveland, they're not happy about this s**t, 'you're disrespecting where I'm from'. Well, people have to understand that it had nothing to do with Cleveland. It had everything to do with that mother**er LeBron James."

Noah left the Chicago Bulls in 2016, signing with the New York Knicks. His stint there was riddled with injuries, spending the final two years of his career with the Memphis Grizzlies and LA Clippers. He officially retired after the 2019-20 NBA season.