As nice as it would have been for Taj Gibson to play forever, time eventually comes for all NBA players no matter who they are. After 17 years in the league, the 41-year-old Gibson decided the moment had arrived to call it quits.
Just as Bulls fans were processing this news though, they immediately found out that Gibson is returning home. He has been named an assistant coach under first-year Bulls coach Tiago Splitter.
On the surface of Gibson's eight seasons with the Bulls as a player, it appears to have been a tenure that many would describe as decent. He was an All-Rookie First Team selection, often appeared on the Sixth Man of the Year ballot and once received votes for the All-Defensive Team.
As a Bull, he averaged 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks a game. His playoff numbers with the team were similar with averages of 8.0 points and 4.9 rebounds and averaging the same number of blocks.
But merely looking at Gibson's stats and accolades don't do his true impact on the Bulls justice. Anyone who watched the Bulls during the Tom Thibodeau years and even the early Fred Hoiberg era could tell you that few players meant more to the team's success at that time.
Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah obviously are the first and second players Bulls fans think of when they reflect on that time, and Luol Deng isn't far behind. If they really wanted to reach, they could even throw Kirk Hinrich in there. Heck, Deng and Hinrich were part of a couple of good eras for the Bulls.
Even with all of that talent though, it was hard to find anyone in Bulls Nation who had even a slight dislike of Gibson. The franchise has a long history of hard workers who really lean into their talent, and the fans always have shown a great appreciation for those players.
Gibson never was the most talented Bull of that era, and everyone knew it. Still, even as those ahead of him got all of the honors and became the more visible faces of the franchise, Gibson always was there doing everything right. He could impact games in both directions, and it never seemed like he stopped hustling.
So with the Bulls starting a new era with a lot of young talent to build around, it's fitting to see Gibson on the sidelines help get the most out of this group. If he's anywhere near as a good a coach as he was a player, perhaps he'll be the top guy on the bench someday. Until that time, Bulls fans are just happy to have him back, and no one should need to be convinced otherwise.
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