On Friday the Chicago Bulls will host the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson will both be making their return. Should Bulls fans give both of them a standing ovation?
Friday night will be an emotional night.
Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson will both be making their return to the United Center.
The Chicago Bulls drafted Taj Gibson with the 26th pick in the 2009 draft. Taj was a member of Chicago Bulls for eight seasons. In his rookie season, Gibson played in all 82 games and made the NBA All-Rookie first team. When I think of Taj, the first thing that comes to my mind is a great teammate. He was a guy that never complained and always showed up every single night. Even when things were rough, Taj still came to work with a positive attitude.
Bulls VP John Paxson calls Taj Gibson "one of the best people we've had in this organization."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 24, 2017
Taj is ranked sixth in offensive rebounds and fifth in blocks in franchise history. He was a guy who did all the dirty work. During games, he was the one going after loose balls, and he was the one in the paint trying to get rebounds. Taj went into areas on the court where some players might not feel comfortable in.
Taj Gibson said John Paxson got choked up as he hugged him goodbye.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 23, 2017
There are some current players on the Bulls roster that were motivated by Taj Gibson’s work ethic. For example, Bobby Portis has said multiple times this season that Taj continues to text him and gives him advices. It was sad that Taj Gibson got traded during the 2016-17 season, but he’s impact is still being felt to this day. Taj Gibson put it on the line every single night, and for that I want to say thank you.
Jimmy G Buckets
Where do I start? When people ask me who is your favorite player in the NBA, I respond by saying Jimmy Butler. I just love the way Butler plays the game. The guy is a workaholic. Everyone knows what Jimmy Butler went through as a child. Everyone knows how much he had to hustle to play in the NBA. The hustle for Jimmy never stops.
The Bulls drafted Jimmy Butler with the 30th in the 2011 draft. That pick was a phenomenal choice. In his rookie season, Butler only played in 42 games. He averaged 2.6 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.
The thing about Jimmy is that he is never satisfied. The guy continues to work on his game, and he has the mindset that he is the best player in the world. Butler played six seasons with the Chicago Bulls, and every year he got better. He was named the NBA most improved player for the 2014-15 season, and was also named 2016 NBA All-Defensive second team.
During his time with the Chicago Bulls, he was a three time NBA Eastern Conference All-Star. Every season Jimmy Butler got better at this game. His defense is amazing because he takes pride in what he does. He showed up every night and played his butt off. Butler is one of the best two way players in the league. It was an honor to watch Jimmy Butler play. He went from a homeless teen to the 30th pick to one of the best players in the NBA. That says a lot about the person.
Taj and Jimmy should get a video tribute and a standing ovation
Every game Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler left it all on the floor. Its shame that both of them didn’t win a title here, because I know how badly they wanted to. A lot of people never gave both of them credit for what they deserve. Every year they improved in their game, and every year they battled out on the basketball court. Taj and Jimmy never gave up and always had their teammates back.
Not only should they get a standing ovation on Friday night, but they should also get a video tribute. We should appreciate what they did for the Chicago Bulls, because they had a big impact in Bulls basketball. We should thank both of them.