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Forward Taj Gibson, who recently agreed to a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, was arrested in New York this week and charged with a moving vehicle violation and driving with a suspended license. The arrest occurred on Thursday morning, four days after he agreed to a two-year, $28 million contract to play in Minnesota.
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According to the New York Police Department, Gibson was observed making an illegal U-turn while driving his 2016 Mercedes Benz sedan in Queens just before 3 a.m. The police stopped the 32-year-old Gibson, who produced an Illinois driver's license that was found to be suspended.
Gibson was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation and given a traffic violation for the illegal U-turn. He was released by police and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 1.
"The Minnesota Timberwolves are aware of the recent incident in Queens involving Taj Gibson," Timberwolves said in a statement. "The team is confident that the matter has been resolved and we will have no further comment on the issue."
Gibson played his first seven-plus NBA seasons with the Chicago Bulls before he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in February. By reaching an agreement with Minnesota, Gibson and head coach Tom Thibodeau will be reunited after being together from 2010 to 2015 with the Bulls.
Gibson also joins former Bulls teammate Jimmy Butler, who was traded to the Timberwolves last month.
Specializing in defense and physicality, Gibson averaged 10.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in 78 games last season. He holds career averages of 9.4 points and 6.3 rebounds in 585 games.
