Former coach Billy Donovan revealed why the famous Florida duo of Al Horford and Joakim Noah chose to stay for another season in Gainesville instead of going to the NBA in 2006.
Florida won its first men’s basketball title in the 2000s under coach Billy Donovan’s leadership. The Gators had key players, like NBA stars Al Horford and Joakim Noah, who helped solidify Florida’s legacy. In 2006, UF beat UCLA 73-57 to win the NCAA Championship. After this, Noah and Horford made the announcement that they were returning for another season.
On “The OGs Show” with Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, Donovan talked about the strong sense of brotherhood that was instilled in the team.
“The only reason they came back was because of Taurean Green,” Donovan said.
Noah, who was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, was projected to be a top-three, if not the No. 1 overall draft pick, while Horford was also supposed to be an early first-rounder. Early picks like these meant contracts valued at millions of dollars.
Green, a former NBA point guard, was not projected to be drafted after winning the 2006 title. Donovan claims Noah and Horford adopted a “no man left behind” mindset. They decided to play one more season and title at Florida, potentially getting Green recognition from the NBA.
“They all felt like if they left, Taurean would be left there unable to realize his dream,” Donovan said.
That sacrifice led Florida to its second consecutive national title with an 84-75 win over Ohio State, becoming the first team to go back-to-back since Duke in the early ’90s. Noah, Horford and Green all entered the NBA following the run.
A 2024 NBA champion and five-time All-Star, Horford is now 40, playing with the Golden State Warriors for his 20th NBA season.
After getting drafted by the Chicago Bulls, Noah became 2014 Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time NBA All-Star. The former Gator retired in 2021.
Green was scooped up by the Trail Blazers and eventually bounced to the Nuggets before playing internationally in Europe. Also calling it quits in 2021, he began his coaching career and is now an assistant coach at Florida.
