Longtime NBA forward/center Taj Gibson has retired as a player, he announced on social media (Twitter link).
“Today is a very emotional day for me,” Gibson wrote. “After 17 seasons in the NBA, I can honestly say I gave this game everything I had.
“Basketball gave me the opportunity to live a dream. As a kid from Brooklyn, NY, I was lucky to get a chance to display my talent on the biggest stage. From Fort Greene Projects to USC, to the Chicago Bulls, and every team and city that came after, I’m grateful for every moment, every teammate, every coach, and every person who believed in me.
“I wanted to be the guy my teammates could count on someone who brought toughness, energy, leadership, and heart every time I stepped on the court. To my family, my friends, my teammates, my coaches, my agent, the NBA, NBPA and the fans, thank you. You were all a part of this journey. But this isn’t goodbye to Basketball. It’s the beginning of a new chapter.
“After 31 years of basketball, I can walk away with no regrets, knowing I left everything on the floor. God has truly blessed me. Thank you Basketball ❤️🩹”
Gibson, 41, finished last season with Memphis and was recently traded to — and waived by — New Orleans.
As Gibson alluded to in his announcement, he will transition to coaching, having agreed to join Tiago Splitter’s staff in Chicago as an assistant coach with the Bulls, per Shams Charania of ESPN and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links). Ian Begley of SNY.tv first reported (via Twitter) that the Bulls had “strong interest” in hiring Gibson if he were to retire as a player.
The 26th overall pick in the 2009 draft after three college seasons at USC, Gibson was a key reserve for the Bulls for the first seven-and-a-half years of his career prior to being traded to Oklahoma City in February 2017. He signed with the Timberwolves in the 2017 offseason and had a couple productive years in Minnesota before signing with the Knicks in 2019.
Gibson has largely been an end-of-bench veteran the past handful of years, but he’s long been lauded for his professionalism and toughness. He also played for Washington, Detroit and Charlotte at the end of his 17-year career.
In 1,012 regular season outings, including 462 starts, the 6’9″ big man averaged 8.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.0 block in 22.9 minutes per game. Gibson’s field goal percentage was 51.7% and he converted 71.3% of his career free throws.
