Taj Gibson swears that he wasn’t trying to humiliate Kris Humphries
BY SEAN JENSEN sjensen@suntimes.com April 26, 2013 9:46PM
Bulls forward Taj Gibson dunks over Nets forward Kris Humphries in the second quarter of game three between the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets first round playoff April 25, 2013 at the United Center. | Tom Cruze~Sun-Times
Updated: April 27, 2013 2:12AM
Bulls forward Taj Gibson swears it wasn’t personal.
In the second quarter, with the Bulls building a lead on the Brooklyn Nets, Gibson took a bounce pass from guard Nate Robinson near the free-throw line, took a step and launched himself toward the basket, aggressively dunking the ball with his right hand.
On Nets forward Kris Humphries.
The thunderous slam was the No. 1 play of the night on SportsCenter.
“I was just looking at the rim,” Gibson said. “I just wanted to get to the rim quick. Nate passed it to me above the three-point line, and I really had to take off and get there quick because their defense slides over so fast. But I was able to punch it in. It was a hard play.”
But the dunk didn’t look routine.
“I was just trying to rattle it,” he said. “I was just so juiced.”
Gibson said he didn’t know Humphries was coming, and he downplayed the reaction of his teammates.
“When it happened, everybody was like, ‘Did you see it?’ I didn’t even want to look at the camera,” Gibson said. “I didn’t want to jinx myself.”
Gibson regularly throws down highlight dunks.
So will he ever enter the dunk contest?
“It’s so tough now. There’s so many gimmicks and so many things,” he said. “But I’d be willing to give it a shot.
“Nate always tells me how hard it is.”
Gibson finished the Bulls’ 79-76 victory Thursday with four points, one rebound and one blocked shot.
