Darrell Armstrong

Darrell Eugene Armstrong (born June 22, 1968) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who last was an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 14 seasons in the NBA for the Orlando Magic, New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers and New Jersey Nets. Armstrong was selected as the Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year while playing for the Magic in 1999. He retired from playing in 2008 and joined the Mavericks as an assistant coach in 2009. He won his first NBA championship with the Mavericks in 2011.

Early life Armstrong was born in Gastonia, North Carolina and graduated from Ashbrook High School of Gastonia in 1986. At Ashbrook, Armstrong was a punter and wide receiver on the football team and began playing basketball as a senior. Armstrong then attended Fayetteville State University, a Division II college in Fayetteville, North Carolina and part of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference, and joined the football team as a walk-on placekicker. In 1988, Armstrong joined the Fayetteville State basketball team and would play three seasons under coach Jeff Capel II.

Minor and international leagues (1991–1995) Armstrong was not selected in the 1991 NBA draft and began his career with the Atlanta Eagles (renamed Trojans in 1994) of the United States Basketball League (USBL) in 1991. Armstrong was named to the USBL All-Defensive team three consecutive seasons from 1992 to 1994, was a second-team All-USBL selection in 1992, and first-team All-USBL selection in 1993 and 1994.

In October 1992, Armstrong signed with the Capital Region Pontiacs of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). Armstrong later played for the South Georgia Blues of the Global Basketball Association until the team folded in 1993. After playing for the Blues, Armstrong returned to Gastonia. He volunteered at Ashbrook High School as an assistant basketball coach and worked the night shift at a yarn factory. He averaged 32.0 points and 8.0 assists and won Player of the Year honors.

For the 1994–95 season, Armstrong played for Coren Ourense of the Spanish Liga ACB and averaged 24.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. He was a ULEB All-Star in 1994.

During his nine years in Orlando, the team never posted a losing record, making the NBA playoffs seven times.

On July 7, 2003, Armstrong was arrested after an incident outside an Orlando night club. He was subsequently charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer, but the case was eventually dismissed.

New Orleans Hornets During the 2003 off-season, Armstrong signed with the New Orleans Hornets as a free agent.

Dallas Mavericks He was traded by the Hornets to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Dan Dickau and a second-round draft pick on December 3, 2004. On December 19, 2005, while he was still with the Dallas Mavericks, Armstrong was fined $1,000 for grabbing a microphone before a Mavericks game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the American Airlines Center and yelling "How 'bout those Redskins!" Only a few hours prior, the Cowboys had been routed by the Redskins 35–7. Armstrong was raised in North Carolina as a Redskins fan.

Indiana Pacers After appearing in the 2006 NBA Finals with the Mavericks, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for guard Anthony Johnson in July 2006. Armstrong was released by the Pacers on October 1, 2007.

New Jersey Nets After being released by the Pacers, Armstrong signed with the New Jersey Nets after clearing waivers. He appeared in 50 games in 2007–08, averaging 2.5 ppg in 11.0 minutes, and buried three 3-pointers in his final appearance of the season.

Player profile Despite his short height, Armstrong had the ability to dunk. He accidentally completed a reverse layup in the 1996 Slam Dunk Contest, which was deemed the worst dunk in the competition's history by Kenny Smith. Subsequently, he was awarded last place in the contest.

Coaching career On January 26, 2009, the Dallas Mavericks hired Armstrong to be assistant coach for player development. Armstrong helped coach the Mavericks to win the 2011 NBA Finals. In April 2025, he was removed from the media website after being arrested on a charge of aggravated assault.

Personal life Darrell is the parent of four children: Arkia Armstrong, Maliyah Armstrong (Malone), Darrell (DJ) Armstrong Jr., and Tyson Jarrell. Darrell was remarried to Shantelle Armstrong (Brooks) in 2026.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs