ATLANTA: Daniel Gibson is thrilled to be moving his way up the line in Cavaliers’ 3-point shooting history. But in order to reach the top, he’s going to need a lot more time.
“That’s going to take another contract with more years,” Gibson said with a chuckle Friday. “But I’m game. I would love to be here for my entire time and then see where I finish up.”
Despite battling a sore right elbow, Gibson entered the game Friday against the Hawks fourth on the Cavs’ all-time 3-point list with 544. He’s only six shy of Wes Person for third place, but then he’s going to need a few years to crack the top two. LeBron James is second in Cavs history with 771 3-pointers, and Mark Price remains the all-time leader with 802.
“It means a lot because the whole time has been in Cleveland,” Gibson said. “I just feel like I’m becoming part of the Cleveland history, and to me, that’s what it’s all about. It’s that longevity and being with that one team and building something there. I appreciate that.”
Now in his seventh season, Gibson is in the final year of his contract. He is making about $4.8 million this season and there certainly seems to at least be an avenue for a return — Cavs coach Byron Scott has long considered Gibson one of his best perimeter defenders and he’s usually one of the most consistent 3-point shooters on the team. Not to mention, the Cavs only have six players under guaranteed contracts for next season.
“I’d love to be here for my entire career,” he said. “I love it here. I’m a loyal guy, I’ve always been a loyal guy. If you’re going to smile when it’s going good, you’ve got to be able to go through it when it’s going bad. It means more to you if you’re able to go through the bad and get back to the good. That’ll be the most exciting part of it all. I definitely want to see it all the way through.”
