Denton: Armstrong to be Honored For Contributions
By John Denton
February 19, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – When the crowd at Amway Arena rises tonight one more time to give Darrell Armstrong a roaring ovation, the former Orlando Magic point guard knows it won't be just because he was one of the franchise's best all-time players.
It will be because of the way Armstrong played that made him one of the most likeable and endearing figures in Magic history.
Barely 170 pounds, Armstrong shoved his way into the NBA after being undrafted and unwanted by any other professional franchise. And he carved out a particularly nice niche in Orlando by flinging his body all over the court and playing at a hyperactive pace of a waterbug. Knowing that he did everything possible to get every ounce out of his NBA career gives Armstrong peace now in retirement and particular joy when fans in Orlando bring up memories from his playing days with the Magic.
``I take so much pride in knowing that I gave everything that I had to the game and I take pride in people telling me that I was an overachiever,'' said Armstrong, now 41 years old.
Armstrong, who played for the Magic from 1994 to 2003, will be honored tonight by the Magic as part of the franchise's ``Commitment to the Past'' program. Armstrong, now an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks, joins Nick Anderson, Matt Guokas, Dennis Scott, Scott Skiles, Jeff Turner and Pat Williams as honorees by the Magic.
Former Magic general manager John Gabriel discovered Armstrong at a minor-league tryout camp in Daytona Beach and signed him as a free agent on April 8, 1995, and the rest was history. After two years of hardly playing at all on Orlando's dominant teams of the mid-1990s, Armstrong made his mark during the 1996-97 season and endeared himself to Magic fans during the 1997 playoffs against Miami.
Armstrong unlikely rise to fame hit a high point in 1999 when he became the first player in NBA history to win both the Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player awards in the same season. And even greater honor came later in his Magic career, when he was named the Magic's team captain.
In nine seasons in Orlando, Armstrong played 502 games and averaged 11.7 points, 5.1 assists and 1.65 steals a game. He ranks in the top 10 of six major statistical categories in Magic history and at one time played in 206 straight games. He still holds the franchise record for consecutive made free throws with 47.
``It'll be an honor to be recognized in the building where I played all of my games because the Magic move down the street into the new building,'' Armstrong said. ``I played nine years in (Amway Arena), and there are so many good memories there.''
One of the best memories came on March 15, 1999 when Armstrong saved the Magic on a night when Orlando and Philadelphia both hard a hard time finding the basket. With the Magic training 73-72 with 3.3 seconds remaining, Armstrong dashed in front of Allen Iverson to steal a pass and converted a layup as time expired for a big Magic victory.
In so many ways, it was classic Armstrong. He sacrificed his body to make the steal, he refused to give up until the final horn and he used his unbreakable will to push his Magic team to an unlikely victory.
``That was probably my most favorite moment of my career,'' Armstrong remembered. ``But a funny story about that play was that my mother-in-law was watching at home and they came out of commercial late and when the game came back on I already had the ball in my hands. She thought they were showing a replay from another game. She didn't know that the play had won the game.''
Armstrong won a lot of games for the Magic, especially during the 1998-99 ``Heart and Hustle'' season when Orlando was picked to finish among the worst teams in the NBA. But Armstrong teamed with a blossoming Ben Wallace and rookie guard Chucky Atkins, to lead the Magic to 41 wins and within one victory of the playoffs. It is among his most gratifying accomplishments, he said.
But most of all, he's gratified by the way he's remembered. His fearless, wreckless style made him an elite player and one who Magic fans will never forget. And he knows tonight's ovation from Magic fans – many of whom still stop him in the community and thank him for the way he played – will be because of the fire he displayed as a player.
Now, as an assistant coach with the Mavericks, Armstrong's message to players is that they can make a difference with their effort and intensity regardless of their skill level.
``I tried to play every game with heart and soul,'' said Armstrong, who was also particularly active in the Orlando community with his foundation to aid premature babies. ``Everybody in the NBA has skills, but after that you have to have a competitive nature about you. That always brought the fight of me and made me want to play hard and never quit. I always tried to find ways to will my team even when things we're going well. Knowing that always played hard and never quit is why I could walk away from the game with such pride.''
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Magic ``Behind the Scenes'' segment can be heard each week on ESPN 1080 AM. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.'' mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
By John DentonFebruary 19, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – When the crowd at Amway Arena rises tonight one more time to give Darrell Armstrong a roaring ovation, the former Orlando Magic point guard knows it won't be just because he was one of the franchise's best all-time players.
It will be because of the way Armstrong played that made him one of the most likeable and endearing figures in Magic history.
Barely 170 pounds, Armstrong shoved his way into the NBA after being undrafted and unwanted by any other professional franchise. And he carved out a particularly nice niche in Orlando by flinging his body all over the court and playing at a hyperactive pace of a waterbug. Knowing that he did everything possible to get every ounce out of his NBA career gives Armstrong peace now in retirement and particular joy when fans in Orlando bring up memories from his playing days with the Magic.
``I take so much pride in knowing that I gave everything that I had to the game and I take pride in people telling me that I was an overachiever,'' said Armstrong, now 41 years old.
Armstrong, who played for the Magic from 1994 to 2003, will be honored tonight by the Magic as part of the franchise's ``Commitment to the Past'' program. Armstrong, now an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks, joins Nick Anderson, Matt Guokas, Dennis Scott, Scott Skiles, Jeff Turner and Pat Williams as honorees by the Magic.
Former Magic general manager John Gabriel discovered Armstrong at a minor-league tryout camp in Daytona Beach and signed him as a free agent on April 8, 1995, and the rest was history. After two years of hardly playing at all on Orlando's dominant teams of the mid-1990s, Armstrong made his mark during the 1996-97 season and endeared himself to Magic fans during the 1997 playoffs against Miami.
Armstrong unlikely rise to fame hit a high point in 1999 when he became the first player in NBA history to win both the Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player awards in the same season. And even greater honor came later in his Magic career, when he was named the Magic's team captain.
In nine seasons in Orlando, Armstrong played 502 games and averaged 11.7 points, 5.1 assists and 1.65 steals a game. He ranks in the top 10 of six major statistical categories in Magic history and at one time played in 206 straight games. He still holds the franchise record for consecutive made free throws with 47.
``It'll be an honor to be recognized in the building where I played all of my games because the Magic move down the street into the new building,'' Armstrong said. ``I played nine years in (Amway Arena), and there are so many good memories there.''
One of the best memories came on March 15, 1999 when Armstrong saved the Magic on a night when Orlando and Philadelphia both hard a hard time finding the basket. With the Magic training 73-72 with 3.3 seconds remaining, Armstrong dashed in front of Allen Iverson to steal a pass and converted a layup as time expired for a big Magic victory.
In so many ways, it was classic Armstrong. He sacrificed his body to make the steal, he refused to give up until the final horn and he used his unbreakable will to push his Magic team to an unlikely victory.
``That was probably my most favorite moment of my career,'' Armstrong remembered. ``But a funny story about that play was that my mother-in-law was watching at home and they came out of commercial late and when the game came back on I already had the ball in my hands. She thought they were showing a replay from another game. She didn't know that the play had won the game.''
Armstrong won a lot of games for the Magic, especially during the 1998-99 ``Heart and Hustle'' season when Orlando was picked to finish among the worst teams in the NBA. But Armstrong teamed with a blossoming Ben Wallace and rookie guard Chucky Atkins, to lead the Magic to 41 wins and within one victory of the playoffs. It is among his most gratifying accomplishments, he said.
But most of all, he's gratified by the way he's remembered. His fearless, wreckless style made him an elite player and one who Magic fans will never forget. And he knows tonight's ovation from Magic fans – many of whom still stop him in the community and thank him for the way he played – will be because of the fire he displayed as a player.
Now, as an assistant coach with the Mavericks, Armstrong's message to players is that they can make a difference with their effort and intensity regardless of their skill level.
``I tried to play every game with heart and soul,'' said Armstrong, who was also particularly active in the Orlando community with his foundation to aid premature babies. ``Everybody in the NBA has skills, but after that you have to have a competitive nature about you. That always brought the fight of me and made me want to play hard and never quit. I always tried to find ways to will my team even when things we're going well. Knowing that always played hard and never quit is why I could walk away from the game with such pride.''
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Magic ``Behind the Scenes'' segment can be heard each week on ESPN 1080 AM. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.'' mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
