Their playing careers at Florida did not overlap, but Noah wanted Parsons to play for the Gators anyway, and the two stayed close. So close that, over a decade later, Parsons flipped the original script on their relationship and played the role of recruiter as Noah mulled his return to the NBA. Even while dealing with his own persistent knee troubles, Parsons stayed on Noah about signing with the Grizzlies. “I was like, ‘if you still love basketball, this is a great place to kind of get back on track and prove yourself,'” Parsons said. “It took a little convincing, but it was fun. I’m glad he’s here. He’s one of my best friends in the world. So I’m excited he’s here and we’re here together.”
