Here’s an abridged look at Daniel Gibson’s short, successful stay with the Cavaliers so far …

June, 2006 – Despite being named Big 12 Freshman of the Year after his first season at Texas and Honorable Mention All-American as a sophomore, Daniel Gibson fell into the second round of the 2006 NBA Draft. The Cavaliers were more than happy to grab the sharp-shooting Longhorn with the 42nd overall pick – 17 spots after selecting Shannon Brown from Michigan State.

In what might have been a divine intervention, Gibson ended his pre-draft workouts after auditioning for the Wine and Gold. “Cleveland was the place that I wanted to be,” Gibson said the summer he was drafted. “I felt that it was the perfect situation for me. And I just shut it down after working out for the Cavs.”

November, 2006 –In typical rookie fashion, Daniel Gibson spent his first seven games as a pro glued to Mike Brown’s bench, and when he finally did make his first appearance, it was for one measly minute against Portland.

“It felt good to get out on the floor in an actual game,” said Gibson afterward. “I wasn’t really nervous when I knew my time was coming in the second half, but then I got a little spooked because as I was walking to the scorer’s table, Drew Gooden said, ‘Don’t shoot an airball!’”

But on November 22, he logged big minutes against the Raptors in Toronto. And two nights later, the Houston native punctuated his arrival into the NBA with a massive right-handed dunk in Al Harrington’s grill to close out the third quarter in Indiana. The Cavaliers lost the game, but the second-rounder served notice that he was here to stay.

December, 2006 – Five games after throwing down his monster jam in Indy, Gibson got the first start of his NBA career – replacing an injured Larry Hughes in a home contest against the Raptors. Boobie responded by netting 18 points and five boards in 36 fluid minutes. He was 6-for-12 from the floor – including 3-for-6 from home run range – and held his friend, T.J. Ford, to eight points.

“We played against each other maybe three times a day, seven days a week," said Gibson, in typical modest fashion. “He’s a great guard and I just tried to hold my own.”

January, 2007 – Gibson re-assumed his role as the club’s Sixth Man for the next two months of his rookie season. But with the squad struggling in late January, he was inserted into the starting lineup by Mike Brown. In that first game – a 124-96 home drubbing of Golden State – the precocious point guard went 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, tallying 12 points.

The lightning-quick rookie from Texas took some early lumps trying to check Golden State’s Baron Davis, but found his bearings as the game went on.

"I think every time I’m out there on the floor, those premier guards like Baron Davis are going to try to push me and try to get me on the block. So, basically, I have to show them what I’m made of." Gibson went on to start 13 of the next 14 games for Cleveland.

May, 2007 – As impressive as Gibson’s rookie season had been, nothing could have prepared him for his postseason run with the Wine and Gold. The man with the million-dollar smile played well through the Cavaliers first two series – against Washington and New Jersey.

But by the time Cleveland had reached the Eastern Conference Finals, Boobie was beginning to percolate. In Game 4, Gibson netted 21 points, going 12-for-12 from the line and 4-of-7 from the floor as the Cavaliers turned the series around after losing their first two games.

Gibson’s amazing run against Detroit came to a culmination in an unforgettable Game 6, when he drilled five three-pointers – scoring 19 of his game-high 31 points in the fourth quarter as Cleveland advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Said LeBron James after the emotional Game 6 victory: "I told Daniel before the game, I said, 'I believe Detroit is going to double-team me, triple- me before I cross halfcourt, so get that gun and get it locked and loaded and just shoot it. Don't second guess yourself, just shoot it.'"

June, 2007 – Daniel Gibson’s playoff magic continued in his first two games against the Spurs – coming off Cleveland’s bench to net 16 points in Game 1 of the Finals and 15 more in Game 2. By Game 3, Gibson was starting in place of the injured Larry Hughes.

Like the Cavaliers, however, Gibson’s run ended abruptly as the Spurs swept Cleveland out of the Championship in four games. Gibson became the first rookie since Sam Cassell in 1994 to average double figures in the Finals.

In 20 playoff games, the now-seasoned rookie from Texas averaged 8.3 points per contest.

November, 2007 – Coming off one of the greatest rookie seasons in Cavaliers history, Gibson started 26 of the Cavaliers first 28 games to start the 2007-08 season. He topped the 20-point plateau on four occasions – including a regular season career-high 26 points against Milwaukee on November 20 – and was ranked near the top of the league in three-point percentage. In those 26 starts, Gibson averaged 12.6 points on .478 shooting and .504 (63-125) from beyond the arc.

February, 2008 –Boobie’s sharp-shooting and increased production as a sophomore earned him an invite to the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout and T-Mobile Rookie Challenge during All-Star Weekend in New Orleans. On Friday night in the Rookie Challenge, Gibson – who had recently missed four games with a hamstring injury – was completely lights out, canning a jaw-dropping 11 three-pointers for 33 points, locking up MVP honors in the Sophomores’ 136-109 win. LeBron James, who would win MVP of the actual All-Star Game two nights later, was courtside, cheering wildly throughout Gibson’s second-half barrage.

“Before the game, (LeBron) said, ‘If you get an open look, take it,’” recalled Boobie. “And I told him if I make my first one, it might be a good night for me. And since I came in, I made that three in the corner and I shook his hand. And after that, it was all she wrote.”

On Saturday night in the Shoot-Out, Daniel Gibson was hot, but Jason Kapono was hotter. Gibson netted 17 points in the first and final round, but Kapono – also a former second-round pick with the Cavaliers – tied Mark Price’s record with 25 points to become the event’s first back-to-back winner.

May, 2008 – In just his second game back from the All-Star break, Gibson’s trajectory took a slight detour when he suffered a high ankle sprain in the fourth quarter of a February 20 win in Indiana. The injury – a first in Gibson’s career – sidelined him for 17 games.

Boobie returned for the last 10 games of the regular season, though he only posted double figures in one of those games. But by the time the postseason rolled back around, Gibson had returned to form, punctuating his return to the playoffs with a huge Game 4 against Washington where he tallied 22 points on 9-for-14 shooting – 4-for-6 from three-point range. The Cavaliers won that game and, eventually, the series.

Gibson had a rough opening game against Boston, but bounced back – (once again in Game 4) – against Boston, netting 14 points in a huge Cavaliers win that evened the series with the eventual World Champs.

But one game later, the injury bug would bite again when Gibson collided with P.J. Brown, injuring his shoulder and shutting down his Sophomore season. He missed the next two contests and the Cavaliers were eliminated by Boston in Game 7 on May 18.

July, 2008 – Gibson inks an multi-year extension with the Cavaliers. The man LeBron James calls his “little brother” comes into his third year as a pro as one of the game’s best shooters – a player who loves the bright lights and the big shot at the big moment. Boobie has shined on the NBA’s biggest stage and has crammed a power-packed career into two unforgettable seasons in Cleveland.

What will Gibson do for an encore over the next several years?

By inking the former Longhorn to a well-deserved extension, Danny Ferry and the Cavaliers are dying to find out.