In 2001, on the draft night the Bulls traded him to the Clippers for the draft rights to Tyson Chandler, Elton Brand made the almost unprecedented move of returning to the Berto Center to address reporters.
Given that Taj Gibson has a similar reputation to Brand’s as honest, upbeat, selfless and accessible, it shouldn’t surprise that the heart-on-his-sleeve Gibson did the same Thursday afternoon.
Hours after practicing and leaving the Advocate Center and hours before the Thunder sent a private jet to whisk him and Doug McDermott to Oklahoma City, Gibson returned to the practice facility with mixed emotions.
"Every day I came to the locker room and saw my name on the back of a Bulls jersey was a dream come true," Gibson said. "Great city, a big-time city, and just to have the fans behind me at times was a great feeling.
"The moment I got my jersey and I had my draft cap it was hell because nobody knew who I was or what I was capable of doing. But as the years went on, just playing hard and playing competitive and leaving it on the court each and every night, the fans became my family. It sucks to have to depart, but I’m going into a great situation and I’m looking forward to competing and doing my job."
That’s what Gibson always did for seven-plus seasons since the Bulls drafted him 26th overall in 2009. Start him, bring him off the bench, whatever his role, Gibson did it. He did it on a value contract extension. Heck, he even played through a torn ligament in his ankle before succumbing to offseason surgery.
That’s why eight teams called the Bulls to gauge his trade availability. That’s why Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah sent him texts telling him they loved him. It’s also why his post-trade embrace with executive vice president John Paxson proved so emotional.
"I don’t really see Pax get choked up and a little teary-eyed. But he gave me a long hug and I have a lot of respect for Pax," Gibson said. "He’s like a father figure, just a great guy."
Photos of Taj Gibson.
Said Paxson: "Taj has been just one of the best people that we have ever had in this organization. He’s classy, professional, competitive. I love everything about him."
It seemed fitting that Gibson, who ranks 10th among franchise leaders with 562 games played, downplayed a light-hearted question on whether his epic dunk over Dwyane Wade in the 2011 Eastern Conference finals was his favorite moment. Gibson was never about flash, always about substance.
"Just being around Thibs (Tom Thibodeau), he just told me people don’t look at most of the games. They look at the bright spots. I had a lot of different bright spots in my career," Gibson said. "The biggest one in my career would have to be just being on the team when guys were down and having a coach look at me and know he can count on me — no matter what position, no matter what time of the game. And he would trust some of the most important plays for me to do.
"Those were the most important moments of my life, just having a guy between Fred (Hoiberg) and Coach Thibs, just knowing the guys ahead of me making twice as much more money than me, and he’s still calling my name in crunch time. Those were the best moments of my life."
Gibson, an unrestricted free agent this summer, wouldn’t rule out returning to the Bulls either as player or in a post-career coaching capacity. He’s excited to play with Russell Westbrook, whom he has known since high school.
"He always showed me love every time I’ve seen him," Gibson said. "That’s a great guy."
Because of his dependability and value contract, Gibson involved in February trade rumors became a seemingly annual occurrence. When rumor became reality, he knew why.
"I was like, ‘They have to get something for me,’ because they didn’t get anything for Joakim, they didn’t get anything for Pau (Gasol)," Gibson said. "So it was smart for them to try to get something for me while I was still here, which is good for the organization in my opinion.
"I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished as far as being here for so many years. I’m really saddened that we didn’t get a chance to win one, I’m saddened that I didn’t get a chance to finish off the year. My agent and everybody knows how badly I wanted to stay here. But have to stay focused. Going to a new situation, a new chapter."
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