Updated: December 20, 2013Gibson : I Want Revenge!The Cavs player who missed the most important shot of the 2013 NBA Finals wants a shot at his former team.
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Gibson is back in the NBA with the Nets; the team he helped beat in the Eastern Conference earlier this yearBy Woody Hannes
ESPN.com WriterI asked Boobie Gibson, “How did it feel for the Cavs to cut you off like that?”
Silence.
It was complete silence from the 27 year old who spent 7 years with the Cavs. Gibson just shook his head and said nothing. As I sat there awkwardly, I tried to think of something to say to break the ice. When an idea popped in my head, Gibson coincidentally spoke up first. He said, “It’s about how I felt before. It’s about how I’m feeling now and what I want to do about it.”There are no words to describe how I felt for the Cavs and how they treated Boobie Gibson. He was a player who worked hard and improved every single year. He was a player they developed since picking him up in the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft. And the worst part was that Gibson was a friend of Lebron James’.
I am emphasising the ‘was’ in that last sentence.
“Lebron was my friend,” Gibson told me, “I was hurt that he didn’t want me back on the team. He didn’t even say it to my face but my agent told me that Lebron got the call from the Cavs and he told them to spend their money on the new guy.”
The ‘new guy’ happens to be Terrell Hicks; a former top prospect from the Toronto Raptors who was looking for less money than what Gibson was trying to command. For our purposes, I can say that Hicks has fit in well in Cleveland and doing a very efficient job from off the bench in Gibson’s capacity – as a spot up shooter. When I mentioned this to Gibson, he hit me back with a very good point.
“It’s not about the money or the role or anything,” he said, “It’s about loyalty. The team didn’t show me that loyalty and Lebron surely didn’t stick by what I thought was a bond that we shared. I thought we were friends.” Gibson told me that since leaving Cleveland, Lebron has not even contacted him.
Gibson remembers ‘the shot’ everyday he switches on his television or computer and sees NBA highlights or news. He remembers how it fell short and delivered the Kings a title on a platter. Yes, the game was not lost on that one shot and one player should not shoulder all of the blame. However, Gibson came out of that NBA Finals series as the biggest loser. He lost his place with the Cavs and he also lost his place in the NBA.
After Cleveland made the shock move of not resigning him, Gibson made his way overseas where he has been playing for CSKA Moscow. In Russia, Gibson concentrated on being a more complete point guard. He not only got better in the small amount of time over there but he also got a taste of what it felt like to be a star. “I was sometimes the main option over there,” Gibson laughed, “I was relied upon to put the ball in the hoop night in and night out.”
Gibson did not disappoint his fans as he averaged a team leading 13.8 points per game. “I know that 14 points doesn’t jump out at you but the European game is different. We had three or four others averaging double figures. That doesn’t happen in the NBA.” Gibson also got the honour to play with another former Cav: Trajan Langdon. Langdon, a former Blue Devil and three-year NBA player, tutored Gibson every practice. Gibson said that he appreciated the lessons learnt from the 37 year old.
“He (Langdon) really helped me rebuild my confidence. He told me that he saw the highlights and he saw that shot I missed,” Gibson explained, “He told me that sometimes things don’t always go your way and that you just have to pick yourself up again if it don’t.” Gibson spent hours in the gym with Langdon working on his already lethal jumper, “He taught me a thing or two. The best part about Trajan is that the first day I met him, he asked me if the NBA was still a goal. I told him that it was and he told me he was going to try his best to help me get back there.”
A few months later and by exercising a clause in his contract with Moscow, Gibson was headed back on a plane bound for New Jersey. The Nets called just after a Euroleague game against Regal FC Barcelona (Indiana Pacers Ricky Rubio’s former team) in which Gibson top scored with 22 points, including five three pointers. He was about to get on the team bus when his cell phone rang and his manager told him that he was wanted back.
“Which team?” Gibson asked.
His agent replied, “The Nets.”
Gibson was still laughing when I interviewed him when recalling the conversation with his agent. “I told him,” Gibson had a wide grin, “That it’s funny that the Nets wanted me. I guess they remembered me from the playoffs.”
“Did you say yes straight away?” I asked him.
Gibson was honest, “Beggers can’t be choosers. It’s every kid’s dream to play in the NBA and who am I to say no to an offer.”
“So no other factors affected your decision?”
Gibson paused for a moment and then said it.
“Give me Cleveland in the playoffs this year. I can’t wait to face them.”