DEERFIELD, Ill. -- When I first asked Joakim Noah if he'd be interested in doing a podcast with me he looked at me like I was a little crazy.

He wasn't even sure what a podcast was.



Once I described it though, he became a little more intrigued. He's never been one to shy away from discussing the things that are on his mind.

You already knew that, but after listening to our first episode you will have absolutely no doubt.

It goes without saying that Noah is unlike almost every other player in the NBA. He doesn't shy away from anything on, or off, the floor. There is meaning behind everything that he says and, as evidenced by the past week, he clearly doesn't back off the things that he says.

What you see is what you get. There is no gray area. You either love him or hate him.

Regardless of whether you are a fan of Noah's or not, I hope you take the time to listen to our podcasts over the coming weeks and months.

Sure, we'll talk about basketball, but we'll also discuss the other things that are going on in Noah's life -- the things that he is interested in most outside of basketball, one of which is his brand new Noah's Arc Foundation, an organization he founded to help children grow by exposing them to both sports and the arts.

By his own admission, Noah is misunderstood by people who don't truly know who he is. Hopefully, these podcasts shine a little more light on both the person and the player.

Here are some of the highlights from Episode No. 1:

Find out what it will take for the Bulls to even up their series with the Cavs.

On why people in Cleveland really started hating him: "First of all, they've hated me over there for a long time because don't forget when I was a Gator boy we did kind of go at them in the [NCAA] Championship game because there are a lot of Ohio State fans over there, too. So they haven't been very nice to me over there for a while. I never really said that because I didn't want to sound too macho or anything, but that's the reality of it. Let's keep it real: It's not a great place to be -- Cleveland. I think you know that, I think everybody else around who's not from Cleveland knows that. It's OK, though. I'll go stay in the hotel and get ready for the game."

On whether or not the Bulls are using their playoff run as a platform for prospective free agents.

Noah talks about why he'll probably never stop speaking his mind to the media: "I think that's just the way I was raised. My father [Yannick] was an athlete and he was somebody who never really shut up for anybody. He always said what he felt. And I respect that. I think that's the way it should be. It's true things are different now. Everything you say can be blown out of proportion and everybody has an opinion, but at the same time that's not going to change who I am and I'm not scared to speak my mind. I think that's just the way my father raised me and my mother raised me."

His thoughts on Tim Tebow being drafted in the first round of the NFL draft and how it compares to his own situation coming out of the University of Florida: "I think a lot of people are just haters, man. Nobody is in that position. Nobody has ever done the things that he's done as a player. But they're so quick to just bash him from their couch. The guy hasn't even played in one game and you guys are so quick to say, ‘He'll never make it. He'll never do that.’ They kind of did the same thing with me, but I just want to say that I'm really proud of him."

How much he appreciates Charles Barkley's kind words

As always when it comes to Noah, there is much, much more.

Enjoy the show.

Click here to listen