Taj Gibson, who was a staple for the Chicago Bulls in the 2010s, may be close to retirement at this point. He spent last season with the Charlotte Hornets, but considering they have not picked him up (and no other team has, either), it seems as though his NBA career could be over.

When with the Bulls, Gibson was a crucial part of their rotation. Though he began his career as a starter, Gibson quickly transitioned into a bench player for Chicago, acting as an essential piece off the pine for the Derrick Rose-led Bulls teams that made plenty of noise in the 2010s.

But now, his career may finally be coming to a close.

How important was Taj Gibson to the Bulls?

Obviously, the Michael Jordan Bulls teams are the peak of everything the organization has ever accomplished. Nothing can come close to those squads, highlighted by the Jordan-Scottie Pippen duo. Six championships in eight years is a near-impossible bar to match.

However, from those seasons to now, Gibson may be part of the most popular team that has competed in Chicago. Though the 2010s Bulls never reached the same heights as Jordan, they were beloved.

Rose, a local kid and the youngest NBA MVP ever, was leading the way, Joakim Noah held down the fort at center, while Gibson, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, and others helped anchor the rest of the roster on what was an extremely popular Bulls squad.

The team reached its peak during the 2010-11 campaign when they made the Eastern Conference finals, unfortunately falling to the Big 3 Miami Heat in a five-game series.

They made it back to the second round a couple of times in 2012-13 and 2014-15, but never managed to get back to the conference finals. And by the time those two teams came around, Jimmy Butler was in Chicago, helping lead the way.

Though Gibson was never the star of the show in Chicago, he was a staple of that era of Bulls basketball. To this day, fans still remember him fondly, and perhaps there’s a chance he signs a one-day contract to retire a Bull when he officially decides to hang up his sneakers.

They never managed to match the bling of Jordan and Pippen, but for the Bulls kids who grew up watching those Bulls teams, Gibson was a fan favorite.

And now, at 40 years old, it’s looking like Gibson’s time in the NBA could be at its end.