Chicago Bulls: 30 greatest players in franchise history

The Bulls held the No. 18 pick in the 1989 NBA Draft, and they used it on B.J. Armstrong, a 6-foot-2 point guard out of Iowa. Armstrong started his Bulls career as a reliable backup behind John Paxson before taking Paxson’s starting job in the 1992-93 season.

Armstrong only missed one game during his first Bulls stint, which spanned six seasons and a bunch of deep playoff runs, including three championships. He was a stellar caretaker at point guard and a terrific 3-point shooter. When he took over as the starter, Armstrong led the league in 3-point shooting at 45.3 percent en route to 12.3 points per game.

Armstrong stayed with the Bulls for two more seasons after Michael Jordan’s first retirement. The guard was even voted in as a starter for the 1994 All-Star Game, and that season he scored a career-high 14.8 points per game while shooting 44.4 percent from deep. He followed that up by putting up 14.0 points per game with a 42.7 percent mark from distance in 1994-95. He’s second in Bulls history with his 43.7 percent 3-point accuracy.

Armstrong was selected by the Toronto Raptors in the 1995 NBA Expansion Draft, but he refused to report and went to the Golden State Warriors. He ultimately returned to the Bulls in 1999-00 before retiring.

Armstrong joined the Bulls’ front office after his playing days, but he was passed over for the general manager job and Paxson got the gig instead. Armstrong left the organization in 2005 and became an agent, with Derrick Rose part of his client list.