Taj Gibson Retires from NBA to Join Bulls Staff, Knicks' KAT Salutes Former Teammate

Longtime NBA forward Taj Gibson is moving on to the next chapter of his career.

On Monday, Gibson announced his retirement from the NBA after 17 seasons. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that he will be joining the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach under first-year head coach Tiago Splitter.

Gibson was drafted 26th overall by the Bulls in 2009, and he endeared himself to the franchise as a do-everything "glue guy" who contributed on both ends of the floor. He also suited up for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies.

New York Knicks star center Karl-Anthony Towns, who teamed with Gibson on the Timberwolves, gave him a shout-out on social media:

Gibson will now look to help turn around a Bulls team that hasn't made the playoffs in each of the last four years. It can be expected that he will be motivated to help lead the franchise back to prominence in his new role as assistant coach.