Kids & Family

Chicago Bulls' Taj Gibson Visits Advocate Children's Hospital

Chicago Bulls forward brings smiles to sick kids' faces, with an assist from Benny the Bull.

Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson, one of the nicest people you’d ever hope to meet, stopped by Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn on Wednesday to visit some young fans.

Warming up the lounge of children and parents with all the brilliance of Harpo Marx, was Benny the Bull.

Benny date-stamped himself, hassled a security officer, stole a boy’s socks and put them on his horns, and grabbed a ride in a wagon, until he was able to get his young audience of babies through teenagers to crack a smile in the tiny lounge.

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Then, his tallness entered the room--six-foot-nine-inch Taj--fresh off his 17-point rampage against the Suns the night before.

Taj revealed that Benny the Bull gets a lot of time-outs and pretty much does what he wants, while visiting with the children and and their families.

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Visiting children’s hospitals is something Taj said he always wanted to do and he does it often.

“Seeing four- and five-year-olds going through so much, it’s something special to see them smile,” Taj said. “The parents need it too, they’re really stressed out with their kids working so hard.”

Another motivation is a childhood friend who was diagnosed with leukemia when he was growing up in Brooklyn. His friend managed to beat the diease.

“He lost all his hair and it was rough at times.” Taj said. “He stuck out but I’ll never forget how he always smiled and pushed through.”


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