By Field Level Media
Sep 14 (Field Level Media) - Seventeen-year veteran Taj Gibson announced his retirement from the NBA on Monday, and reports indicated that he will re-join the Chicago Bulls organization as an assistant coach.
Gibson, 41, spent his first eight seasons in Chicago after he was selected by the Bulls in the first round (26th overall) of the 2009 NBA draft. The center/power forward played for the Bulls from 2009-17, then competed for seven different teams over the next nine seasons.
The USC product played in 1,012 games, starting 462. He averaged 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game and hit 51.7% of his field goal attempts.
"Today is a very emotional day for me," Gibson said in the social media post announcing his retirement. "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, N.Y., 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."
Gibson earned NBA All-Rookie honors after the 2009-10 season when he averaged 9.0 points and a career-high 7.5 rebounds per game. He had his most productive seasons in Chicago, peaking in the 2013-14 campaign when he averaged a career- high 13.0 points per game.
He played on six Bulls playoff teams and the team made its deepest run in 2010-11, reaching the Eastern Conference finals.
Gibson also played for the Oklahoma City Thunder (2017), Minnesota Timberwolves (2017-19), New York Knicks (2019-22, 2023-24), Washington Wizards (2022-23), Detroit Pistons (2024) and Charlotte Hornets (2024-25) before finishing with a ten-game stint for the Memphis Grizzlies (2026).
Gibson is expected to join the Bulls' staff headed by first-year head coach Tiago Splitter.
(--Field Level Media)
