The Boston Celtics are getting a run for their money in the first round of this year’s NBA Playoffs. They should have learned to take their first round opponents seriously after barely beating the Hawks in the first round last year. Maybe it’s just that they did not expect the #1 overall pick from this year’s draft to have such a resounding impact in his first playoff series as a professional. Derrick Rose has definitely stepped his game up, but I doubt his agent, B.J. Armstrong, is the least bit surprised.
Last week, Jonathan Abrams wrote a piece in the N.Y. Times that highlights the relationship between Derrick and B.J. They do all the normal things that agents and their clients do, like talk about endorsement deals and other opportunities, but most importantly, B.J. can relate with Rose because they both played ball for the same professional team in different eras. B.J. can not only prep Rose for his off-the-court matters as any agent would do, but can also lend insight on how to play the actual game.
How valuable is it for a client to not only be able to learn from his agent concerning business and legal issues, but also have his agent be a mentor in fine tuning his trade? Derrick has both with B.J. Armstrong and WMG in his corner. Game 5 is tonight. I wonder if B.J. has any pointers for Rose leading up to tip-off.
