Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame
B.J. Armstrong (89BA)
It’s B.J. Armstrong’s induction into the UI Athletics Hall of Fame.
But it’s an honor the former Iowa men’s basketball player thinks should belong to everyone who supported him in his career.
“I think, more than anything, it reminds me of all of the people around me who took an interest in making me the best version of myself,” Armstrong says. “I never really thought about what it means for me. You have to work hard, you have to have some luck along the way. But I was incredibly lucky to just have so many wonderful people, so many mentors—my parents and my family, my coaches, and people along the way. It’s a tribute to them.”
Armstrong scored 1,705 points in his career with the Hawkeyes, seventh most in program history. He was part of four NCAA tournament teams, including an Elite Eight team in 1987 and a Sweet Sixteen team in 1988.
Armstrong ranks 10th in program history with 173 assists in a single season, and eighth in single-season steals with 61. He was the Hawkeyes’ most valuable player in 1988 and 1989 and was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in those two seasons.
“I just remember, it was the people,” Armstrong says about why he chose to come to Iowa. “I didn’t have a moment or anything. It was just the people I met from the moment I arrived. They made me feel incredibly comfortable.”
Armstrong played his first season at Iowa under coach George Raveling and his last three under Tom Davis. Both men, Armstrong says, had a big impact on his career.
“My introduction to Iowa was with George Raveling,” Armstrong says. “That was fantastic. He was the first one who introduced me to Iowa, and painted that picture for me.
PHOTO: HAWKEYESPORTS.COM
“Coach Davis, he was amazing. Amazing to me. Amazing to my family. Tremendous communicator. He always shot me straight. He shot everybody straight. He had great leadership qualities. He pushed us, he hugged us, he told us what we needed to hear. I had a very enjoyable four years there. I owe them, and all of those people there, so much.”
Armstrong played in the NBA from 1989-2000, winning three consecutive NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls from 1991-93, the team that selected him in the first round of the 1989 NBA draft.
“One of the great things in life is being able to work together, work as a team,” Armstrong says. “I think the big thing is to see the world outside of yourself. The one thing I learned in professional sports is no one does it alone, I don’t care how great you are. Once you have an opportunity to achieve, you see how important it is to be united, to have a united thought. The thought that will permeate throughout the locker room. To me, it’s the most powerful thing.”
Armstrong now works as an agent with the Wasserman Media Group, representing athletes and entertainers.
Where he is today, Armstrong says, is all about the people around him.
“I never played the game for any accolades or anything,” he says. “It was a game I loved to play, and people were always helping me to improve. I was just learning as I went along, and here I am.”
–JOHN BOHNENKAMP