No coaching career for B. J.

MANILA, Philippines - B. J. Armstrong has been an NBA player, a Chicago Bulls front office executive, a scout and a TV broadcaster but the job he’ll never take is coaching.

 “It’s not for me,” said Armstrong who arrived in Manila last Wednesday and is here to promote the Jr. NBA training program until his departure on Monday. “I like to relate with players in real life situations, not just for 48 minutes in a game. I prefer to relate with players as persons. At the moment, I represent 45 to 50 players as their agent. One of my players is Derrick Rose. I’ve placed players all over the world but one country that’s missing in my map is the Philippines.”

Armstrong, 42, is in his first visit to the country but is no stranger to Asia, having gone to China and Taiwan among others.

“I’ve heard about how passionate the Filipino fans are about basketball,” he said in a STAR interview at the Marriott Hotel the other day. “I was also told that the PBA is the second oldest professional league in the world, next only to the NBA. I’d love to be able to watch a PBA game during my stay. One of the guys I grew up with, Fred Cofield, played in the PBA (1996 Governors Cup with Ginebra San Miguel) and I just found out some of my Chicago teammates like Dickey Simpkins, Jojo English and Dennis Hopson played in the league, too.”

Armstrong was surprised to learn that current NBA referee Leon Wood and Detroit Pistons legend Kevin Porter finished their playing careers in the PBA. And he knew of Billy Ray Bates but didn’t know the former Kentucky State star was called the “Black Superman” in the PBA and once, showed up for a game wearing a Superman cape.

Armstrong asked how large are the crowds that watch PBA games and his eyes widened when told that in a knockout quarterfinals doubleheader last conference, over 23,000 fans jammed the Araneta Coliseum to witness the do-or-die games.

Armstrong said during his six years with the Bulls, he became a better player and person because of his teammates.

 “John Paxson and Bill Cartwright kept me going during my early years, teaching me what not to do which was basically never to take anything for granted,” said Armstrong. “It was Bill who told me it’s all about performance. I learned a lot from Pax and Bill, lessons both on and off the court. I learned about the league, about the business of basketball. It wasn’t about not starting early in my career. It was about showing up.”

Armstrong said his Chicago teammates Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were an inspiration.

“Michael is the greatest practice player who ever lived,” said Armstrong. “He was unbelievable at practice, maybe even better than when he played in a game. It’s just too bad what he did at practice never got filmed. That’s my one regret because I would love to see his practice moves over and over again. Michael respected the game and his teammates. When we were teammates, he and Scottie weren’t legends yet. They were young guys but I saw how hard they worked. Scottie was unselfish and very gifted. He took advantage of his gifts and made his team even better.”

Armstrong said the first lesson he learned in basketball was to talk on the floor. “More than dribbling or passing or shooting, what’s important is to communicate to be able to cooperate,” he explained. “As a kid, if you lose, you don’t get to stay on the court in the playground. You learn how to play as a team then you stay on the court. It’s a lesson I brought to the NBA and later on in life.”

Armstrong said every coach he’s played for had one universal message – stick to the fundamentals. “What it comes down to is fundamentals,” he said. “You improve your craft from there, making your spin with the bounce pass or the shot fake or whatever you do in developing your style. It’s the one message that was delivered by all my NBA coaches (from Phil Jackson to Tim Floyd).”

Armstrong said starting and ending his career in Chicago was special. “It was just being at the right place, at the right time,” he said. “I don’t know if I was blessed but it’s unique that I went full circle in my NBA career. Another thing was in my last NBA game, I played with Chicago on the road at Detroit, my hometown, so that was special, too.”

Armstrong played in 11 NBA seasons from 1989-90 to 1999-2000. He suited up for Chicago, Golden State, Charlotte, Orlando and back to Chicago in that order.

Armstrong said although he cherished the memories of playing on three Chicago NBA championship teams, winning isn’t everything in life.

 “When you play your best and you lose, that’s when you become a better person because you won’t make excuses about losing,” he said. “You learn from losing. I put in a lot of thought, work and effort in getting to the NBA. It was a great run, a great opportunity to play the game at the highest level. But it wasn’t just about winning championships. It was about showing up for every game. That’s what the Bulls did during my time – we showed up for every game to play and if you show up, you can’t lose.”

Armstrong said he’ll fly back to the US in time to be in Chicago for Game 3 of the Bulls’ first round playoff series against Cleveland next week.

Clearly a Bulls fan, Armstrong said he’s cheering for Rose who is, of course, his client. The Bulls won eight of their last 11 games after losing 10 in a row and finished the season with three straight victories over Toronto, Boston and Charlotte to clinch the eighth playoff slot in the East. But the reward is facing off against top-seeded Cleveland in the first round.

“I pick the Los Angeles Lakers to win the championship this season,” he said. “In the finals, it’ll be the Lakers against maybe, Cleveland although I’m really not too sure about the Cavaliers making it.”