Bulls bringing back Gibson as an assistant coach

A favorite of the Bulls franchise is coming home this season.

Former Bulls big man Taj Gibson on Monday announced his retirement after 17 NBA seasons — and the Bulls announced later in the day that he’s returning to Chicago to join new coach Tiago Splitter’s staff as an assistant coach.

It’s a long-anticipated move into coaching for Gibson, who cemented a reputation throughout his lengthy NBA tenure as a cerebral player who commanded a locker room with integrity.

“Basketball gave me the opportunity to live a dream,” Gibson wrote in a social media post. “As a kid from Brooklyn, NY, I was lucky to get a chance to display my talent on the biggest stage. From Fort Greene Projects to USC, to the Chicago Bulls, and every team and city that came after, I’m grateful for every moment, every teammate, every coach and every person who believed in me.

“I wanted to be the guy my teammates could count on, someone who brought toughness, energy, leadership and heart every time I stepped on the court.”

The Bulls drafted Gibson with the 26th pick in 2009. He played nearly eight seasons in Chicago until he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the deadline in 2017.

After starting 70 games as a rookie, Gibson came off the bench for the majority of his next five seasons in Chicago before returning to primarily a starting role for his last two. He was a first-team All-Rookie selection in 2010 and finished in the top 10 three times in Sixth Man of the Year voting, including second in 2014.

Gibson averaged 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 562 games (229 starts) for the Bulls.

“(Gibson was) someone that’s a genuine dude,” Derrick Rose said in a video the Bulls released after Gibson announced his retirement. “Someone that I could always ask something about during a game. Someone I was very close to in the locker room. And someone that’s a winner at heart. (Gibson) cared about everyone in this family.”

After the 2017 trade, Gibson signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he played for two seasons. He went on to log 3½ seasons with the New York Knicks over two stints and shorter stints with the Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets. He finished his career with the Memphis Grizzlies, appearing in 10 games in 2025-26.

Gibson remained a favorite in Chicago, earning applause from the United Center crowd upon every return with occasional chants for the longtime big man to be subbed into the game. Fans gave Gibson a standing ovation when he entered a game for the Hornets in December 2024.

“It just lets me know Chicago has embraced a kid from Brooklyn,” Gibson said after that game. “I don’t want to tear up or nothing, but the city’s just been great to me. I don’t know what else to say. … I’m just choked up right now just talking about it.”

Gibson was one of seven assistant coaches the Bulls announced Monday along with three player development coaches and five video coordinators:

Ahearn (Grizzlies), Brink (Knicks), Kalamian (Milwaukee Bucks) and McMillan (Pistons) were NBA assistants, while Herscu was coach of the Rip City Remix, the G League affiliate of the Portland Trail Blazers, where Splitter previously coached.

Unseld, Rancik, Crawford, Williams, Bonsu and Burno return from the previous Bulls coaching staff.