Taj Gibson retires after 17 NBA seasons on September 14

Taj Gibson announced his retirement on Monday, September 14, 2026, after 17 seasons in the NBA, per Yahoo NBA reporting. Gibson was the second-oldest active player in basketball before stepping away from playing. Gibson was released by the New Orleans Pelicans the week prior to his retirement announcement. His final NBA appearance came on February 14, 2024, with the Knicks, when he played nine minutes without scoring. Over his last stint in New York, Gibson averaged 4.9 points and 4.4 rebounds on 56.7% shooting in 175 games across four seasons. Gibson began his career as a 24-year-old rookie with the Bulls in 2009 after being selected 26th overall out of USC by Chicago. He finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2010 and later placed fifth in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2012. His best season came in 2013-14, when he played all 82 games for the Bulls and averaged 13 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks off the bench, coming close to capturing Sixth Man of the Year. He developed a close relationship with Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, who coached Chicago from 2010-15. Gibson was traded to Oklahoma City in February 2017 alongside Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round pick in exchange for Cam Payne, Anthony Morrow, and Joffrey Lauvergne. He joined the Thunder's starting lineup next to Steven Adams for the remainder of the 2016-17 season. In the following offseason, Thibodeau signed Gibson to a two-year, $28 million deal with Minnesota, where he posted 11.5 points and 6.9 rebounds across 153 games. Gibson moved to the Knicks in 2019 on a two-year, $20 million contract. Under David Fizdale and Mike Miller, he played a center role for the first time in his career and mentored younger players. He played 16.5 minutes per game and started 56 of 62 games. After his option was declined for 2020-21, Gibson returned to New York mid-season to fill depth at center behind Mitchell Robinson and Nerlens Noel. At 35 years old, he started three games in a first-round playoff series against Atlanta when Robinson was ruled out for the season. According to Yahoo NBA reporting, Gibson is reported to be joining the Chicago Bulls' coaching staff as an assistant coach under head coach Tiago Splitter for 2026-27, though this arrangement remains unconfirmed. Gibson is the only player aside from Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson whose Knicks tenure spanned from the Fizdale era into 2024.