ORLANDO - Derrick Rose walked out of the locker room, and as he went toward the media room for his interview - all set up for him with a nice, neat podium - a cluster of reporters followed.
Then a few minutes later, a somewhat scraggly-looking Joakim Noah came out with a much smaller group of media members waiting for him.
Not exactly the same attention he received in Gainesville. Noah even asked that the media start to walk with him toward the team bus as he jokingly said they might leave him.
The former UF big man was back in action Monday night at the Orlando Pro Summer League, and this time he's not the wide-eyed rookie, but a veteran tutoring those like the No. 1 overall pick Rose.
"People put these expectations on you that are like unreal," Noah said of how he has tried to help Rose so far. "Especially coming back to school from my sophomore year to junior year. Having to deal with them on a daily basis is sometimes tough."
That certainly rang true Monday night as Noah, Rose and the whole Bulls team struggled at times in the 94-70 loss against the Miami Heat. Noah did, however, have moments of solid play as he had seven points, seven rebounds and two blocks in the 40-minute contest.
And he's probably just happy to be back on the court at this point.
After being arrested on charges of possession of cannabis and an open container of alcohol in late May, and then being stopped with a suspended license and for not wearing a seatbelt the very next day, Noah wasn't making news in a good way.
"I had a lot of things planned for the kids [in New York, his hometown], and I wasn't able to do that because of what happened in Gainesville," Noah said. "I learned from it. I made a mistake. I feel like I put my guard down for a minute, and I let something happen that shouldn't have happened. I regret it, but I feel like I learned from it."
One thing that Noah hasn't stopped doing is being an Energizer Bunny with a ponytail. Before the game even starts, Noah is the only player on his team jumping up and down. Then he bounces from the bench during the game to yell out encouragement for his team.
"He's got a lot of energy," center Aaron Gray said. "It's huge. Especially in an 82-game season. One of the hardest things is getting up for every game. He's got so much extra energy, and that helps out our team."
After Chicago chose Rose over power forward Michael Beasley, a starting spot is Noah's to lose. Noah averaged just 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds last year, but he did get almost nine points and seven boards in the second half of the season. Once center Ben Wallace was traded, Noah's playing time increased, and that looks like it will be a continued trend.
"He's very active," new Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "You got to love his activity. I love his aggressiveness. You have to bring energy, and he does that."
Noah still has the same intensity that Gainesville fell in love with, though he has a little more of a 5 o'clock shadow appearance. After struggling to adjust in the beginning of his rookie year - reportedly getting into arguments with coaches - he seems to have found his niche. Now it's just getting his skills and team up to par.
Many expected Chicago to contend for the Eastern Conference title last year, but the Bulls got off to a slow start and ended with a thud. Now there's a new, younger bunch paving the way.
"I've experienced a lot this year - good and bad," Noah said. "I'm in a great situation here in Chicago. It's definitely on the rise. It's a great situation for a lot of us."
Apparently Noah's teammates think he's in a good situation, too.
"He's a good guy," Chicago forward and former LSU star Tyrus Thomas said. "A hard worker, hard nosed. It's good to play with him because you know what he's going to bring to the table."
