The Chiba Jets' home gymnasium is far from the ultra-bright lights and mammoth-size arenas that dot the NBA landscape.
But, in its first season, the new B. League offers rookies and seasoned veterans the same opportunity: a chance to play the game and earn a living.
For 211-cm Jets center Hilton Armstrong, a fierce desire to compete and improve has ignited a long career in the pros. The journeyman pivot was the 12th overall pick by the Hornets in the 2006 NBA Draft and has also spent time with the Kings, Rockets, Wizards, Hawks and Warriors, appearing in 292 NBA regular-season games and participating in the postseason for New Orleans in 2008 and '09, for Atlanta in 2011 and Golden State in 2014, the season before the team's stunning run to an NBA title.