Joakim Noah Already Back In The Gym

The last time we saw Joakim Noah, he was gallivanting around with a beautiful topless woman in St. Bart's. We were conflicted. On the one hand, we were supremely jealous. We want to go to St. Bart's! We want to swim in the sea with a beautiful woman, preferably one who doesn't mind taking her swimsuit off!

On the other hand, we were proud. Joakim Noah is one of the hardest workers in the NBA. He's improved by leaps and bounds in his first two years in the league. His playoff series against the Boston Celtics -- which the Bulls pushed to four games, despite deficits in talent and experience -- was the high point of his young pro career. If any rich athlete deserves some time in an exotic locale with perfect women, it's Joakim.

In retrospect, we feel vindicated for the last bit. True to form, Noah is already back in the gym at IMG Academy in Florida, where he trained before the NBA draft. In a Hoopsworld chat (via Blogabull), IMG coach Mike Moreau was asked what areas he would help Noah in if they had the chance to work together.

"Joakim is already in our gym. He arrived yesterday and put in a full day's work on his post game and shooting form," Moreau wrote. "He is an inspiration to all of our young aspiring pros after just one day! Stay tuned!"

Everybody has their own offseason training regimens. More than any other sport (other than baseball, whose players almost always seem to devise some new independent offseason training program; you may insert your own steroids joke here), basketball leaves its veterans to their own devices in the summer. It's your job to show up in the fall in shape, ready to play, and if you're a developing player, with noticeable improvements in your skill sets.

Some players do this. Some players don't. But Bulls fans should be thankful to have a young center who knows when to cut the party short and get back to work. If Joakim is Bulls fans' son, this summer he's managed to find increased success in his career, spend some quality time with a beautiful girl, and showcase a work ethic beyond his years. If we're Joakim's "parents," we're positively beaming with pride.

Eamonn Brennan is a Chicago-based writer, editor and blogger. You can also read him at Yahoo! Sports, Mouthpiece Sports Blog, and Inside The Hall, or at his personal site, eamonnbrennan.com. Follow him on Twitter.