Taj Gibson’s playing days are over, but his Bulls story isn’t. After 17 seasons in the NBA, the 41-year-old Gibson has decided it was time to step away, and Chicago wasted no time bringing him back into the fold by naming him an assistant coach under first-year Bulls coach Tiago Splitter.
For Bulls fans, that news lands the right way. Gibson spent eight seasons in Chicago as a player, and while the box score version of his run looks solid enough, it never really captured how important he was to those teams. He was an All-Rookie First Team selection, landed on the Sixth Man of the Year ballot more than once and even picked up votes for All-Defensive Team honors.
His numbers with the Bulls were steady: 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in the regular season, plus 8.0 points and 4.9 rebounds in the playoffs, with the same block average. Useful stats, sure. But Gibson’s value went well beyond the line on the stat sheet.
Anyone who followed the Bulls through the Tom Thibodeau years and into the early Fred Hoiberg era knows why he meant so much. Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah are the first names most fans remember from that stretch, with Luol Deng right there too.
If someone wants to keep going, Kirk Hinrich belongs in that conversation as well. Still, Gibson carved out a place all his own.
He wasn’t the most gifted player on those rosters, and nobody needed convincing of that. But he was always there, doing the dirty work, bringing energy, making plays on both ends and never letting the motor dip. That kind of player has always resonated in Chicago, and Gibson fit that mold perfectly.
Now the Bulls are trying to build something new around a young core, and Gibson gets to help shape it from the sideline. If he coaches anywhere near the level he played, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him become the top man on the bench one day. For now, though, Bulls fans just get the satisfaction of having one of their own back home.
In Other News...
Bulls Center Search Just Got Linked To A Fascinating Rockets Situation
Alperen Sengun has already established himself as one of the more intriguing young bigs in the league, and his game has long made him a relevant name for teams looking for frontcourt help. He brings real offensive skill, but the questions around his defense and rebounding have kept him from feeling like a finished product, which is exactly the kind of profile that can catch the eye of a team in the middle of a rebuild.
For Chicago, the fit is obvious enough to linger in the background if the relationship between Sengun and Houston ever becomes strained. The Rockets center is on a long-term contract, so any path out would be complicated, but the buzz around his situation is worth watching because the Bulls have reason to keep tabs on any young talent who could alter their timeline. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Fans Can Finally See Where The New Regime Really Changed
Bryson Grahams first offseason as Bulls general manager has been easier to spot on the sidelines than in the front office. Chicago kept an active roster spot open and passed on using its salary cap exception, but the biggest visible shift came with Tiago Splitter taking over as head coach and bringing in a revamped bench staff around him. The message so far has been less about a sweeping roster reset and more about a measured retooling of how the team is run day to day.
The more interesting part is how little has changed in the basketball operations room. While the coaching side has been reshaped, the front office and scouting group still look a lot like the previous setup, with plenty of familiar faces staying in place. For a franchise that has talked for years about needing a new direction, that contrast says plenty about where the real power shift has and has not happened. [Read more 🡒]
Norman Powell May Matter To The Bulls More Than Fans Realize
The Heat are still sorting through the edges of their roster, and John Konchar has emerged as one of the names under consideration. Miami has discussed offering the free-agent wing a contract and has spoken with his representatives about bringing him to training camp to compete for a spot, with the possibility of a non-guaranteed deal that could become fully guaranteed if he makes the opening-night roster.
For Chicago, the bigger takeaway is how a player like Norman Powell can shape a team well beyond the box score. Powell has already drawn attention for the way he has fit in, and the Bulls are clearly watching the ripple effects of that kind of presence as much as the on-court production. On a roster that still has to define its identity, those quieter contributions can end up mattering just as much as the flashier ones. [Read more 🡒]