USC Men's Basketball: Veteran Former Trojan Big Man Returning To Most Recent NBA Team
One of the NBA's oldest active players, a former Trojan center is continuing his career in the league with another contract with his most recent employer.
Signed to another one-year contract, the Washington Wizards decided to bring back veteran big man Taj Gibson to their team after he spent 2022 with the franchise in a reserve role.
Gibson, 38, appeared in 49 games for Washington last season, averaging 3.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per night. All of those figures were career lows, though the former first-round pick was a valued veteran presence in the Wizards’ locker room.
Gibson was drafted in 2009, spending nine years in Chicago for multiple playoff teams in the 2010s.
Mainly playing a reserve role behind Carlos Boozer, the Windy City was led by Derrick Rose, Boozer, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng for a number of seasons with Gibson remaining a presence there under coach Tom Thibodeau.
Joining Thibodeau later on in his career in two separate stops, Gibson's departure from the Bulls came through a trade to the OKC Thunder in Russell Westbrook's MVP season.
Free to sign elsewhere that offseason, the former USC great signed with the Wolves, joining Jimmy Butler on the roster as old players returning to play for their coach.
Opting once again to join Thibodeau's roster, the Knicks were the last stop in Gibson's career before his current destination as a veteran mentor for a suddenly very young Wizards core.
Averaging nearly nine points and six rebounds with one block in his now 15 year NBA career, Gibson's role now will be to help out D.C's newest players, including trade acquisition Jordan Poole.
Though his days of heavy minutes are likely over, it's still nice to see one of the best USC basketball players in recent memory get to continue his career in any capacity.
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