BJ Armstrong, Former Bulls Guard

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Just use Instacart, Brian. A peanut butter M&M's production. In a world where Super Bowl winners get the world's admiration and a fancy ring, but the runners-up get nothing, one retired cop returns- That's one retired quarterback. Read the script.

Oh, sorry. One retired quarterback returns to claim what's his. Um, that's claim a ring with diamonds made from M&M's peanut butter.

But you're on a roll. The Ring of Comfort, coming soon to a Super Bowl new you. All right, Zach Gelb shows CBS Sports Radio. Panini is the title partner of the 2024 NBA Rising Stars and fans can check out exclusive content featuring Panini Rising Stars participants on social media via the hashtag Panini Rising Stars. Panini is the exclusive trading card partner of the NBA. You can get Panini NBA trading cards at Walmart, Target, and hobby stores nationwide. And you could also start collecting your favorite NBA players as digital collectibles on the Panini America platform at PaniniAmerica.net. And now joining us on behalf of Panini is a three-time NBA champion.

And that of course is BJ Armstrong, kind enough to join us on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. BJ, I always appreciate the time. Thanks so much for doing this and happy All-Star weekend to you.

Thank you very much. It's always great to be here. You guys do an excellent job and appreciate you Panini. It's great, great city of Indianapolis at All-Star weekend.

So thank you again for having me on. So we're getting ready for the dunk contest. I'm happy Jalen Brown's doing it this year. You have Mack McClung, uh, the defending champ from a year ago, Jaime Hock has, and then Jacob Toppin still though, whenever I think of the dunk contest, LeBron has done everything possible there is in this league, except participate in the dunk contest. Why do you believe that LeBron never went through with it and tried out this dunk contest once? Well, I think many times when you, when you play the game, you have the participation of playing in the game, the smart, the spontaneous reactions that you get, uh, and playing and competing. And then all of a sudden, when you get in, in, in the front of an audience, when it's just you and you're dunking and you're playing.

And I remember the first time I, I competed in the three point contest, it's a different field. And I can only imagine I would, I would compare it to being an entertainer and being on the stage all by yourself. You know, I used to always imagine, what would that be like? You know, you're on the floor with nine other guys. That's one thing, but then you're on the, on the stage and you're all by yourself. Suddenly it's a different thought. And I remember being in an arena with 20,000 people and you're playing in the game and I didn't think twice about it, but I remember shooting and you realize you suddenly realize that everyone in the arena is just looking at you and that required a different type of feel.

So I re I would imagine, you know what, also our weekend, you don't want to wear yourself out. He's playing. And I just think it's just probably, you know, so much he's in the, this that he's moving around with his partners and NBA things.

So I think there's a lot of things of reason here. He probably hasn't done it, but certainly for the fans, for all of us, we love to have seen a talent, an athletic player like himself participate. And I'm sure to be a treat for all the fans. Now we know the cameras have always been on LeBron his entire life with that individual moment. Like you were talking about, are you saying you felt like LeBron was a little bit intimidated by, by that extra attention? Is that what you were saying? No, I don't think it is.

I just think it's a different, it's a, it's a different thing. You know, you don't just a lot, two things you have to have to me, if you're going to participate in the dunk contest, right. And I've never been in, but I would imagine in talking to people, one, you have to be prepared for that, right? You have to be prepared for, you know, you gotta have a, you know, you gotta have a combination of dunks.

You say, this is what I know I can go to. So that's one thing you just don't show up and play because, you know, you gotta, you gotta engage with the crowd. You gotta engage, get a feel for what, what are you going to need? Is this your 50 dunk? 50, you know, one that you get a 50, if this, is this one that's going to get you to the next round, but more importantly, you have to have an incredible imagination. And I'm talking to any player that participates, you know, when you watch some of the greatest dunkers of all time, like Dr. J, and you talk to these guys, you say, what made you do the free throw line dunk? He was like, I just had a feel. You asked Vince Carter. You asked Dominique Wilkins.

You asked Michael Jordan. Yeah, they had some thoughts of what they're going to do, but the, the imagination and the things that they were doing a lot of that time just happens in the moment. So I think you have to really be all into it to, to give a performance like that. When you watch Zach Levine and Aaron Gordon, those guys, I think it takes some preparation. And a lot of times you play the grind of the season, you do these things.

And the last thing you want to do is have another thing put on your plate. So I'm not saying that's what it is, but if you're going to participate in this, you have to be prepared and it's not something you just show up and say, Hey, I'm here. You gotta be ready. If you're going to compete and try to win it. Talking to BJ Armstrong, I'm always a sucker for the three point contest. I know there's a new wrinkle this year.

I guess the three point shooting and all star weekend with Steph going up against Sabrina. I can't wait to see how that unfolds on Saturday. Yeah, I think it will be. And it'll kind of remind me a little bit of you know, men's women's and I think they're shooting it from the men's three point line.

If I, if I heard, if I, you know, read that correctly. So I think it will be fascinating. I think it will be very engaging. I think it'd be a lot of fun for the, the, the sport. And certainly both players are amazing three point shooters in their own, in their own right. And to have them out here competing against one another, I think it's good for the game. Talking to BJ Armstrong on behalf of Panini. So we know doc rivers has taken over the bucks.

He's three and seven in his first 10 games. They've been a disappointing. A lot of people weren't happy when doc took over. Do you feel like they'll eventually get this thing moving back in the right direction, which would be playing in the NBA finals this season? Well, you know, it's kind of like this situation kind of reminds me of having your first child. You don't go home with the instructions of how this is going to work.

Okay. And you know, doc gets the job, a very unusual situation, how that occurred, especially, you know, let's, you know, we got to talk about the elephant in the room, you know, you know, the outgoing coach, you know what he was in 30 and 16 or something, which I think at the time they were in second place, things seem to be going well. And then all of a sudden they make this change and they bring in doc rivers.

So there was some expectations there. And currently after about 10 or 11 games you know, they haven't been playing exactly championship caliber basketball. We both know that they have phenomenal players, all star players that both will be here and Yanis and, and Damian Lillard. However, right now it's a tough stretch for them.

I know they're on a road trip. They lost a tough game, I think last night against the Memphis Grizzlies. So there are some things they have to figure out there. However, any team that has, you know, Yanis Antetokounmpo on the team will always be in contention. So certainly they have the talent to turn it around. But right now things are looking a little tough. And I think eventually because of their talent, they will get it figured out.

However, you know, they have one thing in mind. This is a championship caliber team. So anything less than that, I think they were probably considered that a failure out there in Milwaukee. BJ, I know you were close with Draymond Green and used to represent him. Just what is kind of stood out to you in this last year with everything pertaining to Draymond? Well, you know, when you have a championship run, you know, it's phenomenal.

And you enjoy the moment, you live in the moment. And certainly all of those guys, their big three in particular, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, who you mentioned, and Steph Curry, those guys have enjoyed a phenomenal, a phenomenal amount of success. They have four championships, you know, a good friend of mine, Steve Kerr, who I played with for many years up there in Chicago, you know, what they've been able to achieve speaks for itself. However, you know, every championship run comes to an end. So you're seeing now, this run in the sort of the latter stages of their run, wherever that's going to end, you know, it feels like the juice isn't worth the squeeze anymore with Draymond. That's what it feels like to me. Well, you know, it's just a matter of figuring out right now, they've gone through some, they're going through some, you know, adversity, and to put it kindly, within the or within their team, and their structure, and they're not playing at a championship caliber, let's just call it what it is.

So if we call it like it is, we'll say, you know, that's what's going on right now. Now, the thing is that we know they have the experience, we know they're battle tested, and we know they have the heart of a champion. However, as you age, it gets more and more difficult to get through the regular season to get to the playoffs. And they are in, they are in really a tough situation, because if they don't continue to improve or get better, or start winning games, this team may not even get into the play in, let alone the playoffs. So right now, they're trying to figure it out. They've had some things that have sidetracked them Draymond missing games, you know, right now, Chris Paul is out.

Klay Thompson isn't playing at the level that you know, we're normally seeing Klay Thompson play at. And consequently, you know, this is a team that's won 10th or 12th place somewhere around there. So they have a lot of things to figure out. However, you got to say what they did achieve. You know, they're, they're, they're world champions. And that's what they did yesterday. But right now, they're certainly not playing at a championship level. And we all know that a mediocre basketball is mediocre basketball.

And that's where they're playing right now. Tell me what you're doing today on behalf of Panini. Well, I'm here I'm celebrating Panini. You know, I'm so excited. I got my Victor women young or rookie card. So I'm holding on to that.

And I'm just going to watch that being sore in value over the years as his career takes off. So I'm here hanging out with Panini also our weekend. I'm in Indianapolis, great food, great people. So and here I am doing the show with you. So it doesn't get any better than that. Panini America dotnet.

Make sure you check it out. He's BJ Armstrong. BJ got about 20 seconds here real quickly. What's your finals prediction right now? Eastern Conference, Western Conference, who gets there? My final the Boston Celtics versus our Denver Nuggets.

So that's my prediction. BJ, thanks so much. Enjoy the weekend. Thank you for having me on.

Appreciate it. You got it. There he is. BJ Armstrong joining us on the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. We'll talk more about the slam dunk contest on the other side. Also, I have a wide receiver that the Kansas City Chiefs should pursue. We'll get to that next. And Mike Pinnell from the Chiefs will join us 2025 minutes from now.

A peanut butter M&M's production. In a world where Super Bowl winners get the world's admiration and a fancy ring, but the runners up get nothing. One retired cop returns. That's one retired quarterback. Read the script.

Oh, sorry. One retired quarterback returns to claim what's his. Um, that's claim a ring with diamonds made from M&M's peanut butter, but you're on a roll.

The Ring of Comfort coming soon to a Super Bowl new you. Okay, picture this. It's Friday afternoon when a thought hits you. I can spend another weekend doing the same old whatever or I can hop into my all new Hyundai Santa Fe and hit the road with available H track all wheel drive and three row seating.

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