Timberwolves news: Taj Gibson shares backstory of picking jersey No. 67

The Minnesota Timberwolves signed Taj Gibson to a deal this offseason, and he spoke about choosing jersey number 67 with his new team.

When the Minnesota Timberwolves made their preseason debut on Sunday, many looked forward to seeing their new players don the team’s colors for the first time. One of the players who had a good game and received a lot of minutes is Taj Gibson, who also showed that he has added 3-point shooting to his offensive arsenal. However, that was not the only thing that surprised the fans who saw debut for his new team.

Many wondered why he was playing with the number 67 on his jersey. While it’s never been used before in the NBA, he also has another reason for choosing it. Gibson recently shared, via Nick Friedell of ESPN, that his decision to use the number came after he spoke to some kids from his hometown in Fort Green in Brooklyn. He said they wanted him to pick it, to represent his neighborhood, which is home to P.S. 67, Charles A. Dorsey School, in New York.

“Fort Greene,” Gibson said proudly after Tuesday's practice. “Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Fort Greene projects, Brooklyn. That's all you need to know. Everybody from my neighborhood knows what that means. That's all that matters.”

“I asked a couple people in the neighborhood, and they asked me, ‘What number are you going to pick?' And I asked them, ‘What number should I pick?' They said, '67!' They said it with a smile on their face. I said, you know what? At first I was like, nah, but then I was like, if that's what you want me to put, why not? It's only a number, so why not? It represents my neighborhood, so why not?”

Gibson became just the second professional basketball player to pick the number, after Moe Becker also used number 67 for the Detroit Falcons of the BAA back in 1947. He had previously worn number 22 throughout his eight year career in the NBA, but with Andrew Wiggins using it, the 6-foot-9 forward was forced to choose another one instead.

Although it doesn’t seem like a big sacrifice to make, Gibson proved that he is a team-first player, and voluntarily became the one to adjust despite being in the league longer than Wiggins. The Minneapolis faithful are certainly not minding what number he has on his uniform, for as long as he performs at a high level, and helps the team in their quest to make the playoffs, and even having a deep run in it this season.