“He Didn’t Cheat the Game”: BJ Armstrong Regretfully Reveals What The Last Dance Didn’t Show About Michael Jordan

There’s nothing about Michael Jordan that hasn’t already been said. MJ has been referred to as the GOAT, not just in basketball, but in all of sports due to his accomplishments. He is a six-time champion, a multi-time MVP, and created more OMG moments in Chicago than anyone can count. But B.J. Armstrong believes that basketball fans didn’t even see the best of what His Airness offered — Jordan at practice.

Jordan has always been a vocal supporter of practicing the same way you would play in a game. “So when the moment comes in the game, it’s not new to me,” the NBA legend famously said. “Everyday in practice was like that to me. It was a competition.” 

This was the same man who flew from Chicago to Las Vegas to grab Dennis Rodman out of a hotel bed to drag him to practice. “He didn’t come back on time, we had to go get his ass out of bed,” said MJ on the Last Dance. Clearly, he was obsessed with putting in the reps behind the scenes. Armstrong would back this narrative up during his recent interview with Creativo Official.

Armstrong spoke about his playing days alongside MJ and the Bulls during the dynasty’s first three-peat in the early 1990s. “I really wish.. people could have actually seen him in practice. Because the best of him we didn’t really see,” he claimed. “You see the games and highlights, But when you see someone and behind the curtain they are actually better than advertised.” 

But was Jordan as dominant in practice as he was in primetime? Absolutely, according to Armstrong. “He was really that good, more importantly he put in the work, he didn’t cheat the game.”

In the world of social media, Jordan haters try to tarnish his legacy by speaking on his character as a teammate. Well, Armstrong admired Jordan and only benefitted from getting pushed by His Airness during those intense practices.

Despite loving Jordan Armstrong still thinks it’s unfair to compare him to today’s era of players

The GOAT conversation gets spoken about quite often in basketball circles. Armstrong himself was asked about the Jordan vs. LeBron debate during a chat with Pro Sport. His main argument? That the entire debate is unfair due to how different the game has become.

“It’s unfair to compare them to today’s players because they were dealing with a different set of circumstances,” stated Armstrong. “I admire these players today for the era that they’re playing in. These players without question could have played in that era but let me assure you it was a different time.”

Armstrong did later admit that he rather enjoyed the GOAT conversation. “It’s a fun debate. I enjoy it. I enjoy people’s arguments.” It’s nice to hear a player actually promote having the discussion rather than immediately barking that their viewpoint is correct.

Not to mention that he’s 100% right. The game has changed so drastically since the 90s, both by an official’s standpoint and a player’s standpoint. The 3-ball dominates today’s NBA, so much so that even the 5 can shoot it with ease. But the physicality in the 90s would be a wake-up call to today’s era, considering how often the referee’s call fouls.

Different eras.