Taj Gibson Retires, Returns to Chicago Bulls as Assistant Coach

Taj Gibson's career as an NBA player began with the Chicago Bulls in 2009. Now, his coaching career will start in the Windy City as well.

The 17-year veteran forward announced his retirement from the NBA on Monday afternoon. But while the news marks the end of Gibson's playing career, the longtime Bull is not done with basketball just yet.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania and Chicago Sports Network's K.C. Johnson, Gibson is returning to the city that drafted him as an assistant coach under Tiago Splitter. The 41-year-old, who spent his first seven-and-a-half seasons in Chicago, took to social media to officially announce his decision to retire.

"Today is a very emotional day for me," Gibson wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "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."

Gibson was the No. 26 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and joined a Bulls team that had drafted Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah in the prior two years. Along with players like Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng and Kyle Korver, Gibson helped Chicago turn its fortunes around quickly, winning 62 games in his second season.

The 6-foot-9 enforcer was one of the defining players of that era of Bulls basketball. Gibson placed in the top 10 of the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year voting three times while he was in Chicago, including a runner-up finish in 2013-14, in which he averaged a career-high 13.0 points per game.

Chicago reached the postseason in all but one of Gibson's years on the team, while Gibson served as a key voice in the locker room. The Bulls traded Gibson to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2016-17 season, shortly after parting ways with both Rose and Noah.

Gibson spent his final nine seasons as a journeyman and a veteran presence between the Timberwolves, Knicks, Wizards, Pistons, Hornets and Grizzlies. He was traded from Memphis to New Orleans last week and subsequently waived, clearing his path to retirement.

The Bulls still have one available roster spot and could have signed Gibson as a mentor for their young players if he had wanted to continue his career. By hiring him as an assistant coach instead, Chicago still gets Gibson's leadership and experience without having him occupy the open roster spot or count toward the salary cap.

"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," Gibson continued. "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."

Although Splitter and Gibson never played together, the two forwards faced off five times during their NBA careers. Four of those came when Splitter was a member of the San Antonio Spurs, while one was as a player for the Atlanta Hawks.

Splitter and Gibson will lead the Chicago Bulls into the regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 21, against the Toronto Raptors.