London trip a homecoming of sorts for Noah

Because he spent much of his childhood in England, Luol Deng has been the focal point of the Bulls' trip to London this week.

But another player making a European homecoming is center Joakim Noah, who grew up in France and never has played this close to his homeland.

''The jetlag is gonna be tough, definitely,'' Noah said before the Bulls departed. ''But I think we're really fortunate enough to go to London and go play basketball over there.

''I have some family coming over from France. That'll be exciting. My grandmother's never seen me play basketball. That will be cool, having them in the stands.''

The Bulls play the Utah Jazz on Tuesday in the O2 arena.