Taj Gibson
 | |
| No. 22 – Chicago Bulls | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 24, 1985 Brooklyn, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Calvary Christian (San Fernando, California) |
| College | USC (2006–2009) |
| NBA draft | 2009: 1st round, 26th overall pick |
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | |
| Playing career | 2009–present |
| Career history | |
| 2009–present | Chicago Bulls |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Taj Jami Gibson (born June 24, 1985) is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Following the 2010 signing of Carlos Boozer, he has played as the second string power forward. Gibson played three seasons of collegiate basketball for the USC Trojans and was selected 26th overall by the Bulls in the 2009 NBA Draft.
Early life
Gibson was born on June 24, 1985 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Gibson began his high school career at Telecommunications High in Brooklyn, N.Y. He then attended Stoneridge Prep as a sophomore and junior in Tarzana, California. During his senior year in 2006, he attended Calvary Christian in San Fernando, California.
College career
Gibson played at the University of Southern California, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. As one of the oldest freshmen in the country at age 21 in 2007 he was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team. He helped beat rival UCLA in 2008.
Gibson was named to the 2009 All-Pac 10 Tournament Team by helping the Trojans winning the Tournament Championship at the Staples Center.[1]
NBA career
Chicago Bulls
2009-10 season
Gibson declared for the 2009 NBA Draft,[2] and was selected 26th overall by the Chicago Bulls. He, along with fellow draft pick James Johnson, signed with the Bulls in July, 2009.[3] Gibson was the starting power forward for most of his rookie season with the Bulls and impressed many people with his high energy and good defense. During the All-Star Weekend, Gibson played in the Rookie Challenge, where the Rookie team won for the first time since 2002. The Bulls made the playoffs securing the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Taj averaged 7.6 points per game and 7.0 rebounds while the Bulls lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.[4] At the end of his first season, Taj was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.[5]
2010-11 season
During the off-season, the Bulls signed power forward Carlos Boozer, who was expected to start at the beginning of the season rather than Gibson. Prior to the pre-season though, Boozer broke his hand, so Gibson started the first 15 games of the season. After Boozer's return, Gibson moved into a bench role for most of the season. At the end of the season, the Bulls made the playoffs as a 1st seed in the Eastern Conference. On May 10, 2011, Gibson helped his team take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Atlanta, making all of his 11 points in the fourth quarter.[6]
US Select Team
On May 14, 2012, Gibson was named to the US Select Team, joining the likes of Jeremy Lin, DeMarcus Cousins, and Kyrie Irving in practicing with the US Olympic Team in preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Player profile
Gibson is known for his aggressive play on the defensive end and his emphatic dunks on offense. He is a dangerous shot blocker and superb team defender. Gibson is a fan favorite in Chicago and widely regarded as the best player off the Bulls' bench.
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| College | Year | GP | MPG | SPG | BPG | RPG | APG | PPG | FG% | FT% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USC | 2006–07 | 37 | 32.4 | .5 | 1.9 | 8.7 | 1.5 | 12.2 | .558 | .623 | .000 |
| USC | 2007–08 | 33 | 32.1 | .7 | 2.5 | 7.8 | 1.3 | 10.8 | .580 | .594 | .000 |
| USC | 2008–09 | 35 | 33.7 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 9.0 | 1.3 | 14.3 | .601 | .659 | .000 |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | Chicago | 82 | 70 | 26.9 | .494 | .000 | .646 | 7.5 | .9 | .6 | 1.3 | 9.0 |
| 2010–11 | Chicago | 80 | 19 | 21.8 | .466 | .125 | .680 | 5.7 | .7 | .5 | 1.3 | 7.1 |
| 2011–12 | Chicago | 63 | 0 | 20.4 | .495 | .000 | .622 | 5.3 | .7 | .4 | 1.3 | 7.7 |
| Career | 225 | 89 | 23.2 | .485 | .125 | .648 | 6.2 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 7.9 |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Chicago | 5 | 5 | 29.0 | .421 | .000 | .545 | 7.0 | .6 | .2 | .8 | 7.6 |
| 2011 | Chicago | 16 | 0 | 17.8 | .566 | .000 | .600 | 4.1 | .6 | .3 | 1.4 | 5.9 |
| 2012 | Chicago | 6 | 0 | 22.8 | .457 | .000 | .682 | 6.5 | .7 | .7 | 1.7 | 9.5 |
| Career | 27 | 5 | 20.9 | .500 | .000 | .625 | 5.2 | .6 | .4 | 1.3 | 7.0 |