NEWSLETTER
Taj Gibson was an afterthought in 2009. The Chicago Bulls were fresh off one of the most exciting first-round series of all time, taking a No. 2-seeded Boston Celtics team to seven games.
All eyes were on the emerging duo of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. If Bulls fans ever looked away, it would be to take a glance at Wake Forest standout and No.-16 overall pick James Johnson – not the 24-year-old 26th overall pick out of USC.
Yup, Gibson nearly entered the NBA with an AARP account. Any thought of him possessing the tremendous and tantalizing upside that several of the team’s recent draft picks simply wasn’t there. Gibson wasn’t excitingly mysterious; he was underwhelmingly mature. But that’s exactly what ended up setting him apart from the crowd.
Gibson made an immediate impression on head coach Vinny Del Negro, and he instantly took advantage of an opportunity in the starting lineup. Was he posting the most impressive stats? No. But he was promoting winning and slowly proving to be the epitome of consistency. Coaches like consistency.
Gibson played all 82 games in his rookie season, starting 70 of them. While that would mark his most starts in a single season during his Bulls career, it paved the way for what would be seven full successful seasons in Chicago. Gibson still ranks 10th in games played, 6th in offensive rebounds, 9th in defensive rebounds, and 5th in blocks on the Chicago Bulls’ franchise leaderboards.
Whether he was grabbing a career-high 19 rebounds one night, swatting six shots the next night, or posterizing Dwyane Wade to another dimension in the playoffs, Gibson constantly found a way to make an impact. And this is precisely why Adrian Wojnarowski’s report from Friday morning came as zero surprise.
Remember when Taj Gibson ended Dwyane Wade?? 😱 pic.twitter.com/oFRb6jyiuG
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) April 17, 2020
Gibson signed a one-year deal to return to the Washington Wizards for his 15th season of NBA action. The big man will be 38 years old, putting him behind only Andre Iguodala and LeBron James as the oldest player in the NBA.
For a team that embarked on a complete rebuild this summer by trading both Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis, Gibson feels perfect. Appearing in just 49 games last season with career lows across the board, there is no denying that his time on the court is coming to an end. But that doesn’t mean his presence in the locker room and in the practice gym isn’t immensely valuable.
A long season rests ahead for a young and somewhat directionless Wizards team. If there is one person who can help ensure the work is still put in, however, it’s Gibson.
