Taj Gibson has spent all of his eight years in the NBA on the Chicago Bulls. He was drafted by them as the 26th pick in 2009. But on Thursday, they traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder along with Doug McDermott.

It’s business and it’s part of being in the league, but it was still an emotional day for the Bulls and for Gibson. Per CBS Chicago, the 31-year-old told reporters that vice president of basketball operations John Paxson, who he called “like a father figure” to him, gave him “a long hug.”

Later that night, Gibson shared a message on Instagram to the Bulls and to the fans. He wrote:

Today was such an emotional day for me. From the time I heard my name called by David Stern, I have been so proud and honored to be a Chicago Bull. To Jerry Reinsdorf, John Paxson, Gar Forman, Coach Thibs, and Coach Hoiberg, you have all helped me grow into who I am today. There is no way I can ever thank you enough for the opportunities you have presented to me. I will be indebted to all of you forever! To the Fans of Chicago, you have made playing for the Bulls everything I could’ve dreamed of and more. From the incredible support that we get every night at the United Center to the reaction I always receive walking down the streets, it would be impossible for all of you to make me feel more special. Every single one of you will always have a piece of my heart. I have also had such an incredible group of teammates and assistant coaches, who all created moments that I could have never imagined coming true. So, here is just a real heartfelt thank you to all of you for letting a New York City kid live out his dreams as a Chicago Bull. Now, it’s off to OKC and a new chapter in my life and I’m so excited to see what lies ahead. All I can tell the Thunder fans is that you’ll get everything I’ve got every single day and I’m looking forward to our journey together! #thankyouchicago #heaveyheart #seerednation #thunderup

The Bulls thanked Gibson and McDermott with images on social media.

While it seems like Gibson was ultimately OK with what happened, as he said he’s looking forward to this new journey with OKC, Bulls fans are calling for Paxson and GM Gar Forman to be fired — they got #FireGarPax trending on Twitter in Chicago.

To read more about other moves made before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, head over to USA TODAY Sports.