Chicago has always been a blue collar city, and it’s common for the pro athletes who come here to play to adopt a grit-and-grind mentality.
On the Bulls, Taj Gibson is the embodiment of that attitude. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he combines his New York swag with a Midwestern attitude and sensibilities.
Despite being a high-profile athlete on one of the most popular teams in the NBA, Gibson considers himself no different than anyone else in town. In fact, you could say that he’s a man of the people.
“One thing about me, I don’t have an entourage. I don’t roll around with a lot of people. I go anywhere when I want and how I want,” Gibson told RedEye. “I go on the West Side a lot and get fried chicken and catfish. I get my hair cut out there. I go on the South Side. I go grocery shopping in random places. And whenever people see me, they look at me like, ‘What’s he doing here?’ It’s crazy, but the city always shows me love no matter where I go … I’m around.”
But the love wasn’t always there.
When Gibson was taken 26th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft, many Bulls fans didn’t know who he was coming out of USC. That’s partially because you have to stay up late to watch games on the West Coast, and DeJuan Blair from Pitt–who was still on the board at the time–entered the draft as a consensus first team All-American and co-player of the year in the Big East.
“When I first got to Chicago, I didn’t know what to expect. It was tough for me,” Gibson said. “On draft night, I was excited. But then when I went to my Twitter, I saw messages from people saying they wanted DeJuan Blair over me. They were killing me. It was hurtful. It crushed me. This is your big night and then you have people acting like they don’t want you.
“So I came here with a chip on my shoulder from Day 1. I was determined to work hard, stay late, do whatever I had to do because that’s just who I am.”
How quickly things can change in just six years. Gibson is now one of the most beloved players on the Bulls roster. His hard work and energy he displays on the court, combined with solid defense and the occasional hammer dunk over defenders, has made the 29-year-old a fan favorite in the Windy City.
In his “Chicago Basketball is Home” TV spot, Gibson reveals why he’s Chicago’s everyman.
“I’m from a blue collar family where everybody worked hard. So I look at the small things,” he says in the clip. “I look at people going on the train. I look at people who are tired, with bags on their back coming from a long day at work in the snow. That’s what I think about. I play for the people who wish they could live their dreams out but they couldn’t.”
It’s that last line that makes Gibson so beloved and why it’s so easy for him to connect with people.
“Every morning, the train drivers that come past the Advocate Center, they blow their train whistles at me. They see me,” he said. “So before I go inside, I’ll stop and wait for the trains to come past and there’s this one guy, I don’t know his name, but every morning he honks at me and I always say what’s up to him.”
So if you’re ever out in the city and see Gibson, dap him up and let him know you appreciate what he brings to this city and the Bulls. And if you’re reading this, Mr. Pink Line conductor, No. 22 says hello.
Bryan Crawford is a RedEye special correspondent. @mrcraw4d
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