"One thing he never violated is the respect of that locker room" - BJ Armstrong on Michael Jordan being an exemplary teammate on and off the court
Michael Jordan, the player considered by many to be the greatest of all time, led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990s. Jordan made basketball global, and his influence is still felt to this day. Jordan was not only a great player, but also a great teammate, according to his former teammate BJ Armstrong.
In an article for Sky Sports, Armstrong spoke about how Jordan was as a teammate. Armstrong and Jordan played together for four seasons, between 1989 and 1993. They won three NBA titles together before Jordan retired in 1993, and Armstrong was selected in the 1995 Expansion Draft.
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Armstrong noted that Jordan had great respect for locker room decorum. Despite the media following him wherever he went, Jordan treated his teammates the right way. Despite many things going on before, during and after games, "His Airness" was always a great teammate. Armstrong said about the same:
"Despite his greatness and all of the circus that surrounds that, one thing he never violated is the respect of that locker room, and the respect of what it meant to be a teammate. He didn't demand extra space when he probably could have and should have because, let's face it, the media came to really see him."
"This guy was incredible, yet he was most comfortable being one of the guys."
Michael Jordan just wanted to be one of the guys, says BJ Armstrong...
The Chicago Bulls drafted Armstrong 18th overall in 1989, and the player played a key role in the rise of the team to a contender. Armstrong was an instant scorer off the bench for the Bulls team, eventually becoming an All-Star in 1994 when Jordan was in retirement.
Michael Jordan has some words for BJ Armstrong in 'The Last Dance'
Michael Jordan faced off against his former teammate BJ Armstrong in the second round of the 1998 NBA playoffs. The Chicago Bulls were the favorites to win the series, but the Charlotte Hornets were trying to spoil Jordan's final season in Chicago.
In 2020's "The Last Dance" docuseries, Jordan recalled how Armstrong talked trash in the Hornets' Game 2 win over the Bulls. "His Airness" had some words for his former teammate in Episode 8.
"I felt like B.J. should know better. If you're gonna high-five, talk trash, now I had a bone to pick with you. You know, I'm supposed to kill this guy. You know, I'm supposed to dominate this guy. And from that point, I did," Jordan said.
"I felt like BJ should know better. If you're going to high-5, talk trash now I had a bone to pick with you. You know I'm suppose to kill this guy, I'm supposed to dominate this guy, and from that point on I did."
Michael Jordan after Armstrong hit a key shot in Game 2 https://t.co/GdOAfVZ7Ow
After the Hornets tied the series at 1-1, Jordan took over for the rest of the series to lead the Bulls to a gentleman's sweep.
Jordan averaged 30.3 points per game in the final three games of the series. The Bulls beat the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals before winning their sixth NBA title against the Utah Jazz in the Finals.