"Just having Gar and Pax come in there and say, 'We want you here for a long time,' brought tears to my eyes because I said I wanted to be here for a long time," Gibson said. "I want to retire here. It was great."
It was a stunning reversal considering Gibson said before the game that he was turning down Chicago's offer and didn't expect an agreement. The sides had until 11:59 p.m. ET to reach a deal, and they worked it out just in time. Otherwise, Gibson would have become a restricted free agent after the season, meaning the Bulls would have had the right to match any offer he received.
So what changed? Paxson and Forman stressing after the game just how much they wanted to get the deal done helped. Having some time to think about it did, too.
"I told them I don't want to be a selfish player, I just want to get what's fair," Gibson said. "I looked at the numbers. It's a lot of money. I can't really turn down that much money, especially for the security. You never know what can happen through the year."