New York – Timberwolves forward Taj Gibson wore his No. 67 jersey into Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Wednesday night for the first time since he decided last summer to become the first player ever to wear that number.
He grew up nearby in Brooklyn's Fort Greene housing projects.
"Down the street, down the street," Gibson said when asked how far he was raised from Barclays Center. "This game is always a little nerve-wracking because you see everybody you grew up with working in here and watching the game."
He came to Brooklyn to play the Nets usually twice a year when he played for Chicago.
When asked if every visit remains special now in his ninth NBA season, Gibson said, "All the time, and I hate it because your phone rings and everybody is constantly calling for tickets. It's the worst feeling, but at the same time it's fun."
Gibson wears No. 67 after a couple people from Fort Greene suggested it. New York City's Public School 67 Charles A. Dorsey School is in Gibson's old neighborhood, and Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau has attended funerals for Gibson's friends who were killed by gun violence in the area.
Gibson spends his offseasons between property he owns in Brooklyn and New Jersey and a home in Southern California. He left Brooklyn to attend high school in Los Angeles and stayed to play college ball at USC.
"I'm always here in the summer," Gibson said. "I try to use both coasts."