NBA: Taj Gibson retires, set to join Chicago’s coaching staff

After 17 NBA seasons playing for eight different teams, Taj Gibson has officially called it a career.

On Sept. 15, 2026, the respected veteran big man made his retirement official through a lengthy social media post on his Instagram account.

“After 17 seasons in the NBA, I can honestly say I gave this game everything I had,” Gibson wrote.

“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.”

A former member of a Chicago Bulls core with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Luol Deng, Gibson will hang up his jersey as the franchise’s fifth all-time leader in blocks and sixth all-time leader in offensive rebounds.

Gibson was selected 26th overall by Chicago in the 2009 NBA Draft out of the University of Southern California and immediately made an impact as a young and energetic defensive player off the bench.

He made the NBA All-Rookie First Team, averaging 9.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game while leading all rookies in total double-doubles in the 2009-10 season.

Gibson and Chicago came within one series of reaching the NBA Finals the following year, but the LeBron James-led Miami Heat took them down in just five games despite the Bulls clinching the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

After successive playoff disappointments, Gibson moved on from the Bulls and played for Oklahoma City, Minnesota, New York, Washington, Detroit, Charlotte, and Memphis from 2017–26.

Gibson will quickly transition to a mentoring role, joining head coach Tiago Splitter’s coaching staff in a full-circle moment with the franchise that took a chance on him 17 years ago.

“But this isn’t goodbye to basketball. It’s the beginning of a new chapter,” Gibson continued.

“After 31 years of basketball, I can walk away with no regrets, knowing I left everything on the floor. God has truly blessed me. Thank you, basketball!”