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Jared Armstrong’s basketball career didn’t quite go the way he’d hoped, but what he’s done with the sport has been a pretty nice consolation prize.
Armstrong was unable to play Division I basketball due to a foot injury, but he has played professionally in Israel.
When Armstrong was offered the opportunity to play in Israel, he was granted citizenship there, a nod to his Jewish heritage. Now he aims to “be remembered as more than just a basketball player.”
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Jared Armstrong gives back to his fellow Jewish communities. (Jared Armstrong Basketball)
That’s why Armstrong is building courts in Israel and Jewish communities in his hometown of Philadelphia.
“I’ve always had the passion that basketball is going to stop one day. What are you going to do after your career? I just didn’t want to be another statistic. They say 50% of guys break within five years of playing, whether it’s the NBA or overseas. So my goal is basically to try to build a business, which is rare while you’re playing. That’s how I’ve done Fox when I’ve done something recently,” I told Fox, Armstrong. Digital.
Armstrong said the events of Oct. 7 pushed him even further to help his community.
“I think what pushed me forward was seeing that a lot of the kids when I came back and decided to play didn’t have an outlet. I saw how much the kids wanted it,” Armstrong said. “They were hungry for it. They didn’t go to school and they didn’t really have anything to do. After our first clinic, it really lifted my motivation to keep doing it for them because I know if I was in their shoes, I would want someone to do it for me.”
“It was about giving back to a place where I started my career,” he added. “Obviously, I’m Jewish and my family’s Jewish, and I’ve never really been a religious person. I’ve always been more of an action-based guy and how to treat people. Morals, values and principles are what I believed in. I think it’s very important for me to show kids what’s possible with a ball and a dream. … So I think it’s really important for us that the basketball world can do and save and what the personal basketball world can do. It can help inspire the next generation.”
This court was built in Poria with the help of Armstrong. (Jared Armstrong Basketball)
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In addition to his philanthropic work, he is behind the upcoming JAB Classic in August – one of only two million-dollar basketball tournaments in existence, featuring former NBA players and top international professionals all competing on one stage with one mission: to use the power of sports to unite and inspire.
“This idea has been in the works for almost two years. The money is not the big lure here. The real purpose of the tournament is to fight hate,” Armstrong said.
“Hate is rising, and I think sports is a beautiful way to not only reinforce the message, but also show that unity is possible. For us, the unity and understanding of the message is super important, but bringing all these players under one roof also creates an opportunity for community engagement. It gives a lot of inner-city kids the chance to see their favorite players that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to see as much of here during the NBA season.”
And as the NBA Finals get underway, Armstrong will always reflect back on what the game of basketball has done not only for him, but for countless others.
Armstrong builds basketball courts both in Israel and Jewish communities in his hometown of Philadelphia. (Jared Armstrong Basketball)
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“I wouldn’t be where I am or in this position if it wasn’t for the game. I believe basketball can save the world,” he said. “It’s an inexpensive sport that anyone can play. You literally just need a ball and a hoop. I think that’s what sets it apart and makes it such a meaningful and powerful game.
“You have to communicate. You have to learn about other people. You don’t have to go on a basketball court and be dumb. In football you can wear a helmet and pads and nobody might really know you, but in basketball everybody has to get to know each other. I think there’s a lot of intangibles that you learn from the game that go right into your day-to-day life.”
