Tom Thibodeau welcomes Taj Gibson to join the Knicks’ coaching staff

Tom Thibodeau has a soft spot for Taj Gibson, considering him a personal favorite. The Knicks coach expressed on Monday that if the veteran forward, who is 38 years old, chooses to retire from the NBA, there’s a welcoming opportunity within the Knicks’ coaching staff.

Gibson recently returned to the Knicks last month due to injuries affecting Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims. However, on Sunday, he was waived just before the deadline to secure his contract for the rest of the season.

“He was incredible which doesn’t surprise any of us. We knew he would be,” Thibodeau said. “It was a stretch where we were down bigs and [he was] instrumental on that West Coast trip. Whether he was in the rotation or not, it just brought so much to our team. The ultimate pro. Consummate pro. And just an incredible person on top of it. It’s one of the unfortunate parts of the business but he’s terrific.”

On the possibility of Gibson joining the coaching staff, Thibodeau added, “He knows how I feel about that. We always have a spot for him. It’s an open door. We will see how everything unfolds going forward. I think he still has something left in the tank. I think he’s going to be a terrific coach when that time comes, as well. We’ll see how everything goes.”