claim: Joakim Noah gave the finger to US soldiers and refused to eat with them while training at West Point.
origin: In May 2017, web sites such asÂ BlueMatters.netÂ and PoliceWorld.newsÂ recirculated an old and misleading story about Joakim Noah, claiming that the NBA star had given the finger to USÂ soldiers while training at West Point: < What kind of asshat does this? Joakim Noah was training at West Point and then refused to eat with the rest of the New York Knicks with the cadets because heâ€™s anti-war. Really? Thatâ€™s about as rude as it gets. Those cadets are not the ones instigating war and if war comes, they will willingly serve to protect our country. You know, the one that makes it possible for this moron to earn $72 million over the next four years. What a jerk. > Itâ€™s true that Joakim Noah skipped a dinner with cadets while the team was training at West Point. However, the NBA star did not make an obscene gesture at troops.Â ThisÂ story was largely based on an October 2016 article published byÂ The New York Daily News.Â The original article included several statements from Noah, who said that hisÂ stance was anti-war and not anti-troops: < All he is saying is give peace a chance. In a move based around his anti-war beliefs, Joakim Noah skipped the annual dinner with Army cadets Thursday night at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He also missed a speech from a retired Army colonel, saying afterwards it wasnâ€™t about making a statement or launching a protest. Noahâ€™s main objection to participating was feeling uncomfortable in a place that trains young soldiers to kill. â€œItâ€™s hard for me a little bit. I have a lot of respect for the kids who are out here fighting. But itâ€™s hard for me to understand why we have to go to war, why kids have to kill kids around the world,â€ Noah said. â€œSo I have mixed feelings about being here. Iâ€™m very proud of this country. I love America but I just donâ€™t understand kids killing kids around the world.â€ Â > Noahâ€™s decision to skip the dinner was certainly controversial in some circles and even broughtÂ criticism from West Point spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker: < Predictably, the U.S. Military Academy wasnâ€™t happy. In a statement released to the Daily News, Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker, a spokesman for West Point, said the school was â€œdisappointedâ€ by Noahâ€™s â€œinappropriateâ€ action. â€œThe U.S. Military Academy at West Point develops leaders of character for the defense of our Nation. We are disappointed and feel Mr. Noahâ€™s choice of West Point to make a statement is inappropriate because of the great sacrifice that has originated from this institution over our Nationâ€™s history.â€ > The New York Knicks attempted to quell the controversy by posting pictures of Noah talking to the troops at West Point: