Joakim Noah retires “air gun” celebration in wake of Sandy Hook elementary tragedy

In the wake of the tragedy that took place last week at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, CT., various athletes have been paying tribute to the victims in various ways. Bulls center Joakim Noah has decided to drop his celebration routine which consisted of air guns following a made basket.

“You can’t joke around with things like that,” Noah said. “Too many people are dying because of guns. We have a problem here with guns. So just trying to be a little bit compassionate about what’s going on.”

Kudos to Joakim for taking a proactive approach. Especially when you consider the amount of gun violence that has plagued Chicago this year, being more cognizant about the imagery you’re putting out is the smart thing to do. Noah participated in the “Ballin for Peace” event last summer that brought rival gangs in Chicago together to play a game of basketball and promote peaceful resolutions.