"He would make passes I have never seen" - B.J. Armstrong reveals why playing with Vlade Divac was really fun
B.J. Armstrong's career is best remembered for his days as a backup guard on the Chicago Bulls during their first three-peat, but the Kid also had a couple of stints outside of Chi-Town and with other stars besides Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. One of the more memorable times for B.J. was his time with the Charlotte Hornets.
Armstrong spent only a season and a half in Buzz City, but the variety of the squad really impressed the one-time All-Star. However, one guy that really caught B.J.'s eye was Vlade Divac. Before teaming up with the Serbian center, he never really noticed how good a player Divac was.
"Vlade was one of those guys I played with that were really as a big, you know, Bill, you were the best big I ever played with. Vlade was really interesting. Because he could pass like I've never seen. He would just be throwing things all around. It was a good team, I had a good time," Armstrong praised Divac on Bill Cartwright's podcast.
Ahead of his time
Divac's career is best remembered for his time as a youngster on the Los Angeles Lakers and his days as a big part of the beloved Sacramento Kings in the early 2000s. However, in between those two tenures, Vlade spent two seasons with the Hornets. Armstrong didn't have big expectations coming to Charlotte, but the Serbian would end up being one of the best big men he had ever played with due to his exceptional passing skills.
"It was another experience, and I go down there. I played with what was a really interesting player, Vlade Divac. I knew Vlade from high school. Dave Cowens was coaching. It was great to play with Vlade, he was like this passing big. He would just make all types of passes. They weren't irresponsible, but he would have five turnovers just trying to make the craziest passes," B.J. added.
Nowadays, big men who handle the ball, set up the offense, and throw flashy dimes are regular occurrences, with Nikola Jokic being the perfect example. The Joker's fellow compatriot Divac was somewhat of a lite version of that before it even became a thing, as it is obvious that Vlade was ahead of his time.
For his 16-year NBA career, Divac averaged 11.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He regularly handled the ball and was the guy those Kings teams played through, and almost went all the way. Vlade was also doing that on a high level with the Hornets, impressing Armstrong with his boldness and court vision.Underrated Buzz City squad
While those Hornets teams were often fan-favourites, they never managed to have enough to go all the way. However, with Divac and Armstrong on the squad, supported by a plethora of solid names, they would constantly battle in the playoffs.
"We had great shooters. We had Delly Curry, who was phenomenal. Glen Rice, myself. And Vlade would be just whipping the ball around. We had the late Anthony Mason, who was a low-post player. We had a really good team," Armstrong said.
From Glen Rice, Anthony Mason, Dell Curry, David Wesley, Vernon Maxwell, and company, this Charlotte squad would finish with a 51-31 record and make it to the second round of the 1998 playoffs. However, they encountered B.J.'s former team, the Bulls, amid their Last Dance run, which proved to be too much, as they lost in five games.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
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