Tag: BJ Armstrong

‘We’re watching a true superstar blossom in front of us,’ says Bulls champ BJ Armstrong of Jayson Tatum

The three-time Chicago champ thinks Taco Jay is about to take over.

By now it is clear that the postseason fate of the Boston Celtics is tied in large part to the abilities of star forward Jayson Tatum. His leap to a borderline Most Valuable Player-level talent has raised the ceiling of the Celtics to a contender, so long as the St. Louis native plays up to his potential.

Yet, even in contests where it counts such as Game 1 in Boston’s first-round playoff series with the Brooklyn Nets, it took Tatum a bit longer than one would hope given the stakes to get his game going. Could the Duke product have a cold spell that might end the Celtics’ season early?

Three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls BJ Armstrong is a believer in what he has seen from Tatum so far, and said as much in a recent interview on the “Rich Eisen” show.

Check out the video embedded above to hear what the Bulls champion has to say about Boston’s All-Star swingman against the Nets.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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It might not look like much now, but …

Who got the most air time in the Michael Jordan documentary?

Having conducted a vast amount of interviews, the crew behind “The Last Dance” gave voice to many people to tell the story of Michael Jordan’s career with the Chicago Bulls. But how exactly was interview time distributed in the final cut? We watched …

Having conducted a vast amount of interviews, the crew behind “The Last Dance” gave voice to many people to tell the story of Michael Jordan‘s career with the Chicago Bulls.

But how exactly was interview time distributed in the final cut? We watched the 10 episodes of the documentary clock in hand to find out.

Of course Michael Jordan was going to be No. 1, but you may be surprised to know Steve Kerr was second in the minute count and Scottie Pippen only No. 4. (Although that’s way better than Toni Kukoc, arguably the third-best player on the 1998 championship squad).

Among the notable omissions were MJ teammates Luc Longley and Craig Hodges.

Here’s the full ranking:

1. MICHAEL JORDAN: 46:30

Appears in all 10 episodes.

2. STEVE KERR, TEAMMATE: 12:25

Appears in episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

3. PHIL JACKSON, COACH: 11:46

Appears in all 10 episodes.

4. SCOTTIE PIPPEN, TEAMMATE: 10:26

Appears in episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10.

5. JERRY REINSDORF, OWNER: 7:01

Appears in episodes 1, 2, 7, 8 and 10.

6. DAVID ALDRIDGE, MEDIA: 6:57

Appears in episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10.

7. DENNIS RODMAN, TEAMMATE: 6:01

Appears in episodes 1, 3, 4, 8 and 10.

8. BJ ARMSTRONG, TEAMMATE: 4:55

Appears in episodes 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

9. MARK VANCIL, MEDIA: 4:06

Appears in episodes 1, 2, 7, 8 and 10.

10. REGGIE MILLER, OPPONENT: 3:53

Appears in episodes 8 and 9.

11. MICHAEL WILBON, MEDIA: 3:50

Appears in episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

12. ANDREA KREMER, MEDIA: 3:23

Appears in episodes 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10.

13. JOHN PAXSON, TEAMMATE: 3:09

Appears in episodes 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9.

14. SAM SMITH, MEDIA: 3:06

Appears in episodes 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7.

15. HORACE GRANT, TEAMMATE: 3:03

Appears in episodes 4, 6, 7 and 8.

16. RICK TELANDER, MEDIA: 2:58

Appears in episodes 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7.

17. AHMAD RASHAD, MEDIA: 2:57

Appears in episodes 1, 6, 7, 8 and 9.

18. TIM GROVER, TRAINER: 2:52

Appears in episodes 4, 7, 8 and 9.

19. ROD THORN, EXECUTIVE: 2:50

Appears in episodes 1, 3 and 5.

20. DELORIS JORDAN, FAMILY: 2:39

Appears in episodes 1, 2, 5, 7, 8 and 9.

21. BILL WENNINGTON, TEAMMATE: 2:33

Appears in episodes 1, 2, 4, 7, 8 and 9.

22. DOUG COLLINS, COACH: 2:24

Appears in episodes 3 and 4.

23. DAVID FALK, AGENT: 2:20

Appears in episodes 1, 5 and 8.

24. ISIAH THOMAS, OPPONENT: 2:17

Appears in episodes 1, 3, 4 and 5.

25. MAGIC JOHNSON, OPPONENT: 2:15

Appears in episodes 1, 2, 4 and 5.

26. TONI KUKOC, TEAMMATE: 2:14

Appears in episodes 5 and 7.

27. WILL PERDUE, TEAMMATE: 2:13

Appears in episodes 4, 6 and 7.

28. BARACK OBAMA, POLITICS: 2:11

Appears in episodes 1, 5 and 10.

29. JA ADANDE, MEDIA: 2:02

Appears in episodes 1, 6, 8 and 9.

30. GEORGE KOEHLER, DRIVER: 1:57

Appears in episodes 7, 8 and 9.

31. BRIAN MCINTYRE, MEDIA: 1:53

Appears in episodes 1, 3, 5 and 7.

32. BOB COSTAS, MEDIA: 1:52

Appears in episodes 1, 5, 7, 9 and 10.

33. TODD BOYD, MEDIA: 1:41

Appears in episodes 3, 5, 6 and 8.

34. LARRY BIRD, OPPONENT: 1:39

Appears in episodes 2, 5 and 9.

35. JOHN SALLEY, OPPONENT: 1:31

Appears in episodes 3 and 4.

36. GARY PAYTON, OPPONENT: 1:30

Appears in episodes 3 and 8.

37. DAVID STERN, COMMISSIONER: 1:22

Appears in episodes 1, 5, 6, 7 and 10.

38. ANN KERR, STEVE KERR’S MOTHER: 1:21

Appears in episode 9.

39. JAMES WORTHY, OPPONENT: 1:15

Appears in episodes 1 and 3.

40. JOE O’NEIL, EXECUTIVE: 1:12

Appears in episodes 1 and 5.

41. ROY JOHNSON, MEDIA: 1:10

Appears in episode 5.

42. CHIP SCHAEFER, TRAINER: 1:09

Appears in episodes 4, 8 and 10.

42. KOBE BRYANT, OPPONENT: 1:09

Appears in episode 5.

44. TIM HALLAM, EXECUTIVE: 1:08

Appears in episodes 6 and 7.

45. JALEN ROSE, OPPONENT: 1:05

Appears in episode 9.

46. CHARLEY ROSEN, MEDIA: 1:04

Appears in episodes 4 and 7.

47. CHARLES BARKLEY, OPPONENT: 1:02

Appears in episode 6.

48. JOHN STOCKTON, OPPONENT: 1:01

Appears in episodes 9 and 10.

49. ROY WILLIAMS, COACH: 00:55

Appears in episodes 1 and 2.

49. TISHER LETT, GUS LETT’S WIFE: 00:55

Appears in episode 9.

51. WILLOW BAY, MEDIA: 00:54

Appears in episodes 5 and 10.

52. CARMEN ELECTRA, SHOWBUSINESS: 00:52

Appears in episodes 4 and 10.

53. BILL CARTWRIGHT, TEAMMATE: 00:48

Appears in episodes 3, 4, 7 and 9.

54. JUD BUECHLER, TEAMMATE: 00:47

Appears in episodes 3, 7 and 8.

55. JIM STACK, EXECUTIVE: 00:46

Appears in episodes 2, 3 and 5.

56. MIKE BARNETT, BASEBALL: 00:45

Appears in episode 7.

57. SCOTT BURRELL, TEAMMATE: 00:44

Appears in episode 7.

58. TERRY FRANCONA, BASEBALL: 00:42

Appears in episode 7.

58. BRENDAN MALONE, COACH: 00:42

Appears in episode 3.

60. DANNY AINGE, OPPONENT: 00:40

Appears in episodes 2 and 6.

61. HOWARD WHITE, BUSINESS: 00:35

Appears in episode 5.

62. MELISSA ISAACSON, MEDIA: 00:31

Appears in episodes 6 and 7.

63. RONNIE MARTIN, PLAYER: 00:30

Appears in episode 2.

64. ROD HIGGINS, TEAMMATE: 00:29

Appears in episode 1.

64. GLEN RICE, OPPONENT: 00:29

Appears in episode 8.

66. PATRICK EWING, OPPONENT: 00:27

Appears in episodes 1, 6 and 8.

66. RONNIE JORDAN, FAMILY: 00:27

Appears in episode 2.

66. HANNAH STORM, MEDIA: 00:27

Appears in episodes 4 and 7.

69. STEVE EAST, EXECUTIVE: 00:26

Appears in episode 2.

70. LARRY JORDAN, FAMILY: 00:25

Appears in episodes 2 and 7.

70. BILLY PIPPEN, PIPPEN’S FAMILY: 00:25

Appears in episode 2.

72. FRED LYNCH, COACH: 00:23

Appears in episode 2.

73. BUZZ PETERSON, PLAYER: 00:21

Appears in episode 1.

74. SIDNEY MONCRIEF, OPPONENT: 00:20

Appears in episode 1.

75. NAS, SHOWBUSINESS: 00:19

Appears in episode 5.

76. RON HARPER, TEAMMATE: 00:18

Appears in episode 3.

76. JOHN HEFFERON, DOCTOR: 00:18

Appears in episode 2.

78. BILL CLINTON, POLITICS: 00:17

Appears in episode 2.

78. PAT RILEY, COACH: 00:17

Appears in episodes 1 and 6.

78. ADAM SILVER, COMMISSIONER: 00:17

Appears in episode 5.

81. MARCUS JORDAN, FAMILY: 00:15

Appears in episode 10.

81. JOE KLEINE, TEAMMATE: 00:15

Appears in episode 2.

81. CHARLES OAKLEY, TEAMMATE: 00:15

Appears in episodes 2 and 6.

84. JASMINE JORDAN, FAMILY: 00:12

Appears in episode 10.

84. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, SHOWBUSINESS: 00:12

Appears in episode 5.

86. BILLY PACKER, MEDIA: 00:11

Appears in episode 1.

87. RON COLEY, COACH: 00:10

Appears in episode 2.

87. JOE PYTKA, SHOWBUSINESS: 00:10

Appears in episode 8.

89. KEVIN LOUGHERY, COACH: 00:09

Appears in episode 1.

90. JEFFREY JORDAN, FAMILY: 00:05

Appears in episode 10.

BJ Armstrong believes only one person could answer if Bulls could have won seventh title

Could Chicago have won a seventh ring if they were able to get the band back together? BJ Armstrong believes only one person in the world can answer that question… and it’s not Michael Jordan.

Could Chicago have won a seventh ring if they were able to get the band back together? BJ Armstrong believes only one person in the world can answer that question… and it’s not Michael Jordan.

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BJ Armstrong: For the last five weeks, …

BJ Armstrong: For the last five weeks, for two hours every Sunday night, Michael finally showed us what his life was like in “The Last Dance” series from ESPN and Netflix. He made the game look easy. But being Michael Jordan, and all that came with it, that wasn’t easy. It all happened gradually and really took off around 1992 when he went to the Olympics and we had won our second championship. He had just exploded on the scene. Suddenly, he just couldn’t do the things that we could do. And he never made excuses for it. I remember the little things, now — he stopped shooting before games, stopped warming up, because he thought it could be disruptive to the team. He was like, “I don’t want to interfere with the team.” He always knew our routines and had respect for them. He always made sure that everyone had their space within the group.

BJ Armstrong: This guy was incredible, …

BJ Armstrong: This guy was incredible, yet he was most comfortable being one of the guys. We hadn’t seen a player like him. He could score, he could defend, he could rebound. He was so confident. But underneath that, behind the scenes, I knew Michael Jordan was a country kid from North Carolina, and it was that simple to him. He was a young man, at heart, who wanted to be one of the guys who loved to play and was willing to do whatever was necessary. Now, did he evolve? Yes. But regardless of all the other things, basketball was always first and foremost. To me, that was the most impressive thing about watching him on this journey. It was that way in 1984 and it was that way in 1998. Losing, winning, making movies, whatever, he was always committed, no matter what. That is an amazing, amazing accomplishment because it is so difficult.

BJ Armstrong on how MJ would create ‘enemies for motivation’

USA TODAY Sports’ Mackenzie Salmon talks to former NBA player BJ Armstrong about how Michael Jordan would find motivation to be great.

USA TODAY Sports’ Mackenzie Salmon talks to former NBA player BJ Armstrong about how Michael Jordan would find motivation to be great.

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How this breakfast helped lead to Jordan’s NBA return in ’95

Breakfast, trash-talking and guys being guys. That’s how BJ Armstrong recalls his now-famous breakfast with Michael Jordan in 1995 that ultimately helped accelerate his return to the NBA.

Breakfast, trash-talking and guys being guys. That’s how BJ Armstrong recalls his now-famous breakfast with Michael Jordan in 1995 that ultimately helped accelerate his return to the NBA.

Former Bulls teammate ‘understands’ Scottie Pippen’s final play protest

Scottie Pippen’s comments on his final play protest in episode 7 of ‘The Last Dance’ has caused a lot of buzz. We got his former teammate on that 1994 Chicago Bulls team BJ Armstrong to react to his comments.

Scottie Pippen‘s comments on his final play protest in episode 7 of ‘The Last Dance’ has caused a lot of buzz. We got his former teammate on that 1994 Chicago Bulls team BJ Armstrong to react to his comments.