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Impending free agent Taj Gibson hopes to stay with the team and city he's called home for the past seven seasons — the Chicago Bulls.
Having undergone a major re-arrangement in the starting lineup with four of five new starters (including himself) under head coach Fred Hoiberg, the 6-foot-9 Brooklynite has every intention to reward the organization with the relentless effort he's put forward throughout his career.
“Of course I want to stay here,” Gibson said of his upcoming free agency, according to the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson. “I come from nothing. When I got that, I was blessed and also to be able to play for such a good organization,” he said.”
Gibson received a four-year, $33 million deal in 2012, which will expire at the end of the season. The contract provided him with a level of stability he hasn't been accustomed to.
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With a starting job and a whisker under 29 minutes to do so, the USC product is putting together one of his most productive seasons, averaging 12.1 points and a career-best 7.9 rebounds through the first 23 games of the season.
The free-agent pool for power forwards could be very deep if some of the top names elect to opt out, yet Gibson remains optimistic management make a priority to bring him back, as he's proven his worth during his seven seasons with the team.
“The basketball gods always reward you. Just stay the course,” Gibson said. “I always just do my job and never be a distraction for my team. I'm blessed to be here a long time. I remember over the years a lot of trade rumors, a lot of times I thought I wasn't going to make it through. They stayed with me. It speaks to my character.”
Taj Gibson has been an absolute pendant of reliability, as he's scored in double digits in 17 of 23 games this season and has never scored less than eight points in any outing.
“Right now, I just have to focus on doing my job and proving I can still play and be a front-line guy (as a starter) or off the bench.”
