Lee was Noah's chaperone in college

Before Golden State forward David Lee became a coveted member of the 2010 free agent class, he held the thankless job of trying to get Joakim Noah to class on time.

Lee was a senior at Florida when Noah first arrived in Gainesville as one of the more colorful personalities in college basketball history.

“Coach (Billy) Donovan told me that we had like a buddy system and I had to make sure he got to class on time which, first of all, was absolutely impossible,” Lee said. “So I said meet me at this designated point, we'll walk to your first class, you have no idea where the building is. He said, ‘OK, cool D, cool.'

“I see the guy on campus walking. He has shorts down below his waist, no shirt on and a boombox playing music while he's walking. He's like, ‘Yo, I'm ready for class.'

“I'm like, ‘Jo, come on, man.'

“He's like, ‘What?' ”

According to Lee, Noah did eventually put a shirt on, along with some beads, necklaces and bracelets.

“He's a very free-spirited guy, but I think that's what makes him so special,” Lee said. “There are very few guys, and it's a skill in the NBA, playing hard night in and night out and providing that constant effort. He's got a great skill set, but what makes him special is that intensity he brings every single night. That's why the Bulls are lucky to have him.”

Lee did not play against the Bulls after getting his left elbow sliced in a collision with Wilson Chandler's mouth during Golden State's win at New York on Wednesday.

Lee looks back on summer:

David Lee also talked about his free-agent connections with the Bulls this summer. The former Knicks forward eventually joined Golden State in a sign-and-trade deal for Anthony Randolph and others.

“I came here for a visit, one of the first days of free agency,” Lee said. “I don't want to put words in their mouth, but they were one of the teams that were really after me. It came down to me versus (Carlos) Boozer, and when New Jersey made an offer to Boozer, they (Bulls) made another offer and decided to go with Carlos.

“I think he's going to be great for them when he gets back healthy. He's a great player, so I think they made a good decision.”

Boozer shows progress:

Before Thursday's game, Carlos Boozer confirmed that the stitches were removed from his once-broken hand. Boozer is hoping to start shooting on Tuesday and return to practice in two weeks. That timetable suggests he won't be ready to play until the circus road trip is over, perhaps for the Dec. 1 home game against Orlando.

Some hard feelings:

Golden State's David Lee admitted he was looking forward to taking on the Bulls after being their second choice for a free-agent power forward.

“There is a little extra motivation,” he said. “Not from an anger standpoint or anything like that, but just NBA players are very prideful. I'd like to think I'm one of the better power forwards in the league and a guy that's right now helping his team win games.”

Bull horns: The Bulls were whistled for a meager 3 fouls in the first half against the Warriors. … Yannick Noah, father of Joakim, attended Thursday's game. ... Ex-Bulls forward Andres Nocioni, now with Philadelphia, was fined $25,000 for throwing his mouth guard into the seats at Oklahoma City.