B.J. Armstrong said Michael Jordan set himself apart with his fundamentals and not athleticism

Michael Jordan was a once-in-a-lifetime attraction in every sense, impacting the game both on and off the court in a way that nobody could have ever imagined. Whether it was the MVPs, scoring titles, or championships, the Chicago Bulls legend symbolized the term success.

Jordan’s popularity transcended geographical boundaries, making him a household name. His impact on the game remains almost impossible to replicate.

However, much of his success wouldn’t have been possible without his teammates, including B.J. Armstrong, who was part of Chicago’s first three-peat from 1991 to 1993. Thus, he had observed MJ and his greatness up close, sharing his analysis on one such occasion as well.

“The one thing that was very unusual about when you watch Michael Jordan is he captured your imagination. He played the game in a way that we all said, ‘Oh, that’s a little different.’ And he wasn’t just a great athlete, he was an incredibly fundamentally sound basketball player who just happened to be this amazing athlete who could do things, run and jump, but he didn’t depend on his athleticism,” stated Armstrong, who spent seven years on the Bulls.

“He would do things, you know, jump and twist in the air and do all of those things and you would go wow, but then the purist would also go wow because he was just so good and so fundamentally sound,” added B.J.

Breaking barriers

The five-time MVP also didn’t mind challenging the norms and breaking the mold. His self-belief inspired many to dream big. A case in point is breaking the myth that the NBA was a big man’s league during that time.

“He really opened the idea that, ‘You know what, it may be possible that a guard could actually lead a team to a championship, it may be possible to build a team around a guard’ because we must all remember that most of the teams or all of the teams were built around the bigs,” mentioned Armstrong.

When it came to breaking new ground, Jordan’s influence wasn’t limited to the hardwood. He helped open the gates to several new revenue streams for the league and players through personal branding, endorsements, television appearances, merchandise and other investments.

Interestingly, Armstrong still felt we never got to see Jordan’s full potential.

Air Jordan never switched off

While the world continues to marvel over MJ’s greatness, B.J. also once revealed how Michael never fully realized his potential. According to Armstrong, MJ rarely slept and was always on the move. His competitive juices never let him take a back seat.

“We didn’t see the best of Michael Jordan because he literally didn’t sleep for 14 years. My moment was watching him play 35-40 minutes, then come to practice with the same energy. I’ve never seen a guy this competitive and he’s always on. In practice, I realized he’s different,” stated the 58-year-old.

If one were to believe Armonstrong’s story, Michael was indeed superhuman.

There is no two ways about how essential sleep is for a pro athlete when it comes to their recovery and rightly so. An opposition’s nightmare when functioning on almost no sleep, it would surely have been a scary sight for his peers to see what a fully rested MJ would look like.

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

B.J. Armstrong said Michael Jordan set himself apart with his fundamentals and not athleticism

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