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Joakim Noah’s father explains family ties behind Knicks move

Yannick Noah was proudly wearing a Knicks cap, but for the moment he was all about tennis as he cheered on fellow Frenchman Lucas Pouille, the 24th seed, to his magnificent upset victory over fourth-seeded Rafael Nadal on Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The match lasted four drama-filled hours, but it won’t be long before Noah, the former tennis star, is all about basketball and cheering on his son, Joakim, the Knicks’ 6-foot-11 free-agent acquisition from the Bulls.

“It means the world to him,” the elder Noah said of Joakim joining the Knicks. “We used to go to the Garden when he was a kid, watching games, watching Patrick [Ewing] play.