The New York Knick that wore “six-seven” before it was cool is ending his lengthy playing career.
Recurring Knicks forward Taj Gibson announced his retirement on Monday, making the reveal in an “emotional” post on his social media channels. The Brooklyn native had two terms with the Knicks, playing 175 games between 2019 and 2024.
“After 17 seasons in the NBA, I can honestly say I gave this game everything I had,” Gibson’s farewell address reads in the part. “Basketball gave me the opportunity to live a dream. 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,” Gibson continued. ” … But this isn’t goodbye to Basketball. It’s the beginning of a new chapter. After 31 years of basketball, I can walk away with no regrets, knowing I left everything on the floor. God has truly blessed me.”
After winning the Pac-10’s Defensive Player of the Year title with USC in 2009, Gibson became a first-round pick of Chicago’s (26th overall). He played eight years with the Bulls, including five with head coach Tom Thibodeau.
He’d ultimately reunite with Thibodeau in New York, where he’d average 4.9 points and 4.4 rebounds.
Gibson garnered something of a cult following among Knicks fans thanks to his metropolitan heritage, his status as a Thibodeau confidant, and his ability to serve as a veteran leader for a young group attempting to break through a postseason ceiling.
Gibson was in tow for the shortened 2020-21 season, which saw the Knicks end an eight-year drought of postseason appearances. He started three of the Knicks’ five postseason games that year when Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson were struck down by injuries.
Robinson was waived by the Knicks during the summer of 2022 and signed with the Washington Wizards shortly after. He later credited his time with the Knicks for extending his NBA career in a 2023 interview with Stefan Bondy, then of the New York Daily News.
“It was a great time. I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Gibson said of his first Knicks stretch, which lasted 159 games. “I was able to put the orange and blue on, represent the city. Kind of change things around. I was able to say I made a playoff run with the Knicks … [Knicks president] Leon [Rose] didn’t have to give me a second shot after the year we had previously before he came. He came in and gave me another shot. Especially at my age, and most veterans don’t get picked up. I owe Leon the world because he gave me a chance to experience playoff atmosphere at the Garden.”
Gibson returned to the Knicks on a series of 10-day deals in 2023-24 and posted 16 more showings in blue.
In addition to the Bulls, Knicks, and Wizards, Gibson also played for Oklahoma City, Detroit, Charlotte, Memphis, and Thibodeau’s Minnesota Timberwolves. Memphis traded Gibson to the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this month, but Gibson was waived before he could take the floor in training camp.
Gibson is reportedly going back where it all began: ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Gibson will return to the Bulls as an assistant coach under first-year boss Tiago Splitter, with Chicago’s initial interest originally reported by SNY’s Ian Begley.
