Taj Gibson has been with the Chicago Bulls since he was drafted in 2009, but that run came to an end on Thursday as he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Gibson, a first round pick of the Bulls, was loved in Chicago because of his intense work ethic and his leave-it-all-on-the-floor attitude, and he repaid that love from Bulls fans with a touching Instagram post after the trade was finalized on Thursday evening:
The message reads:
“Today was such an emotional day for me. From the time I heard my name called by David Stern, I have been so proud and honored to be a Chicago Bull. To Jerry Reinsdorf, John Paxson, Gar Forman, Coach Thibs, and Coach Hoiberg, you have all helped me grow into who I am today. There is no way I can ever thank you enough for the opportunities you have presented to me. I will be indebted to all of you forever!
“To the Fans of Chicago, you have made playing for the Bulls everything I could’ve dreamed of and more. From the incredible support that we get every night at the United Center to the reaction I always receive walking down the streets, it would be impossible for all of you to make me feel more special. Every single one of you will always have a piece of my heart.
“I have also had such an incredible group of teammates and assistant coaches, who all created moments that I could have never imagined coming true.
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“So, here is just a real heartfelt thank you to all of you for letting a New York City kid live out his dreams as a Chicago Bull.
“Now, it’s off to OKC and a new chapter in my life and I’m so excited to see what lies ahead. All I can tell the Thunder fans is that you’ll get everything I’ve got every single day and I’m looking forward to our journey together!”
Gibson, who was averaging 11.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game so far this season, was traded along with Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round pick to the Thunder on Thursday. In exchange, the Bulls received Cameron Payne, Anthony Morrow, and Joffrey Lauvergne in the swap.
