Taj Gibson Retires After 17 Seasons and Returns to Chicago as an Assistant Coach
Taj Gibson is ending his playing career and beginning his next NBA role in a familiar place. After 17 seasons, he announced his retirement Monday and joined the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach on Tiago Splitter’s staff, returning to the organization that selected him in the 2009 draft.
In his own retirement statement, Gibson described basketball as the opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream. He traced that journey from Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood to USC, Chicago and the teams that followed, thanking the people who supported him throughout his career. His emphasis was on dependability, toughness and the energy he tried to give teammates.
Gibson also made clear that stepping away from playing was not a departure from the sport. He framed the transition as the start of another chapter and said he could leave the floor without regrets. The Bulls’ official coaching announcement supplies the concrete next step: his first NBA assistant-coaching position.
Chicago drafted Gibson 26th overall in 2009. The club’s staff announcement lists 1,012 career NBA appearances and averages of 8.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and one block. He earned All-Rookie First Team recognition in 2009–10, establishing himself early after three collegiate seasons at Southern California.
His place in Bulls history is especially visible near the basket. The team credits Gibson with 695 blocks and 1,336 offensive rebounds in Chicago, ranking fifth and sixth, respectively, on its franchise lists. Those totals offer a concrete measure of the interior work that accompanied his long association with the organization.
He joins a staff that also includes returning assistant Wes Unseld Jr., a Baltimore native who played at Johns Hopkins. Gibson’s arrival gives Chicago another link between its past and its next season, now from the coaching bench. Follow PowerPage’s Sports coverage for more verified NBA roster and coaching developments.
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