Joakim Noah’s One City Basketball League looks to unify Chicago youth & reduce violence
June 2, 2023
Retired two-time NBA All-Star, Chicago Bulls standout and French national basketball team member, Joakim Noah, recently launched the “One City Basketball League” in Chicago, Illinois (USA). The new youth-centered league is a collaboration spearheaded by his Noah’s Arc Foundation, Transform Justice and 28 community violence prevention organizations.
Noah co-founded the Foundation in 2010 with his mother Cécilia Rodhe, a singer, to help engage children with positive self-expression through arts and sports, and with a special focus on at-risk youth in Chicago. One City Basketball will use the sport as a unifier to foster inter-community relationships between young people on the South and West sides and support participants’ mental health and intrapersonal skill development.
The League’s unique model involves a collaboration with 28 community-based organizations and will provide financially incentivized programs for players and various integrated workshops, such as group discussions, financial literacy, entrepreneurship and art-based therapy. It will also provide trauma-informed mental health resources through off-site art-based activations and an integrated social service fund.
“Basketball has the ability to bring people together, and I hope it will do just that this summer as our participants forge lifelong relationships, manage their overall health and have fun while doing so,” said Noah. “This city has given me so much. This is where my platform is. This is some of the best memories of my life. I love coming back here. And at the end of the day, I know there are issues in this city that we have to tackle. And as an ambassador not just for the Bulls but for the city, I want to do right. This gives me purpose.”
One City is guided by the philosophy that providing opportunities for young people to gather and make connections is a tried and true way of reducing violence and supporting their growth and development. At its summer tournament kickoff event late last month, the advocates and coordinators who will help lead each of the 28 teams spoke about the importance of making space for youth to safely interact with one another, especially during the summer months when crime typically spikes. Organizers see it as an opportunity to create inter-community connections amongst young people, increase participants’ positive self-image and teach coping mechanisms addressing trauma and conflict resolution.
“We know that violence is fundamentally a public health problem, which means that it can be tackled like one – right at the source. Providing opportunities to youth to gather safely in a positive and supportive space is just one of the many ways we can stop crime at its roots and uplift these young men,” said Cobe Williams, Founder of Transform Justice. “Transform Justice is proud to be a part of this effort to support youth in Chicago, and we look forward to an exciting summer ahead.”
The league will be operated by community leaders recognized for their contributions to decreasing violent crimes and influencing youth to make healthy decisions, with the goal of increasing participants’ positive self-image and teaching coping mechanisms addressing trauma and conflict resolution. 280 players ranging from 16 to 25 years old will play games each Saturday at one site on the South side and one on the West side supported by coaches trained in conflict resolution. The league’s first games were held on May 20 and the season will run up until its August 10 championship.