"If he would've slept, we don’t know how good he really would've been!" - BJ Armstrong reveals Michael Jordan dominated the NBA on "no sleep"
Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest player in the history of basketball. However, former Chicago Bulls teammate B.J. Armstrong believes Jordan would have been an even better player if he had enough sleep during his career.
On "The Rex Chapman Show," Armstrong talked about "His Airness." The three-time NBA champion praised Jordan for his work ethic and how he did not sleep enough during his career. Armstrong wondered if Jordan would have been an even better player with more sleep, saying:
"If he would have slept, we don't how good he really would have been. We didn't see the best of Michael Jordan because he didn't sleep for 14 years literally. This isn’t a little sleep; he literally didn’t sleep."
Michael Jordan dominated on "no sleep," says former Bulls teammate BJ Armstrong.
"If he would've slept, we don’t know how good he really would've been! We didn’t see the best of Michael Jordan because he didn’t sleep for, what, 14 years?"
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Michael Jordan played in the NBA for 15 seasons, 13 of which were with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan became the greatest of all time in Chicago, winning everything six NBA championships, six NBA Finals MVPs and five NBA MVPs.
Armstrong added that Jordan is the greatest practice player he has ever seen. The one-time All-Star was in awe of Jordan for his energy every day, during practice, before and after games. He also pointed out that Jordan did not eay anything before practice but still had the crazy energy to play scrimmage, adding:
"He was the greatest practice player I've ever seen. I've never seen a guy practice this hard, and that's what we should be showing the kids... You got a guy that didn't sleep. He didn't eat. He's playing cards or whatever he's doing at night. And the guy is playing, and you're just like, 'Wait a minute. He just played 45 minutes the other night. How?'"
BJ Armstrong on Michael Jordan: "If he would have slept, we don't how good he really would have been. We didn't see the best of Michael Jordan because he didn't sleep for 14 years literally". https://t.co/zK0a8cefWU
How many years did B.J. Armstrong played with Michael Jordan?
B.J. Armstrong was drafted 18th overall by the Chicago Bulls in 1989. He spent six seasons in Chicago but played with Michael Jordan for just four and a half seasons. Jordan retired for more than a season and a half, between 1993 to 1995. Armstrong was not a part of the second three-peat Bulls team.
However, Armstrong was an integral part of the first three championship-winning teams from 1991 to 1993. He was a vital role player in his first three seasons in Chicago before becoming a starter in the 1992-93 season. He took an even bigger role the next two years with Jordan back from his first retirement.
After six seasons with the Bulls, Armstrong was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA Expansion Draft. He was traded by the Raptors to the Golden State Warriors for not reporting to the team. Armstrong spent two and a half seasons in Golden State before getting traded to the Charlotte Hornets.
In Charlotte, Armstrong would face Jordan and the Bulls in the first round of the 1998 playoffs. Jordan dominated the series, eliminating his former teammate and the Hornets in four games en route to the Bulls' sixth championship.
Armstrong also played for the Orlando Magic before ending his career in Chicago in 2000.