Chauncey Billups
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Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
coach and former player who is the head coach of the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA). After playing
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
with the Colorado Buffaloes, he was selected third overall in the 1997 NBA draft by the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. Billups spent the majority of his 17-year basketball career playing for the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA), where he won the
NBA Finals MVP The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (formerly known as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1969 NBA Finals. The award is decided by a panel of eleven medi ...
in 2004 after helping the Pistons beat the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
in the
Finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
. He was given the nickname "Mr. Big Shot" for making late-game shots with Detroit. A five-time
NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
, a three-time All-NBA selection and two-time NBA All-Defensive selection, Billups also played for the Celtics,
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
,
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
,
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
,
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
, and
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
during his NBA career. He was elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024. Billups worked as a studio analyst after his retiring from playing in 2014. The Pistons
retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
his No. 1 jersey in 2016. He started coaching as an assistant for the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
during the 2020–21 season. Billups was appointed as head coach of the Trail Blazers in 2021. In 2024, it was announced that Billups would be inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
.


High school career

Born in
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
,
Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
, Billups graduated from George Washington High School in 1995. At George Washington, he was a four-time All-State first team pick, Colorado Mr. Basketball three times, and Colorado Player of the Year as a sophomore and as a junior. He started on varsity as a freshman. He was selected to the 1995 McDonald's All-American Team but did not play due to a shoulder injury.


College career

For college, Billups chose the
University of Colorado Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University o ...
over Kansas, Georgia Tech, University of California-Berkeley, and Oklahoma State. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game over his two seasons with the Buffaloes. In the 1996–97 season, he was named to the All-
Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida ...
First Team, the Basketball Times All-American First Team, and Consensus 2nd team All-American. That same season, Colorado finished second in the Big 12 conference with an overall record of 22–10. Billups then led the Buffaloes to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 28 years. As a 9-seed, Billups and the Buffalos upset the 8-seed Indiana Hoosiers 80–62 but then lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels 56–73. Billups averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.


College awards and honors

* Consensus second-team
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
(
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
) * All-
Big 12 The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio, Okla ...
First Team (1997) * AllBuffs.com All-Time Colorado Buffaloes Men's Basketball Team * No. 4 retired by
University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver, and the U ...


Professional career


Boston Celtics (1997–1998)

Billups was drafted third overall in the 1997 NBA draft by the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. He did not mesh with new Celtics head coach
Rick Pitino Richard Andrew Pitino (; born September 18, 1952) is an American basketball coach who is the head men's basketball coach at St. John's University (New York City), St. John's University. He was also the head coach of Greece national basketball t ...
. In his first career game, Billups recorded 15 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists in 16 minutes of playing time as a reserve in a win against the Michael Jordan-led Bulls. In his eighth career game, Billups posted a then career-high 22 points, on 5-for-14 shooting from the field and 9-for-10 from the free throw line, to go along with 3 assists and 4 steals, in a 103–99 win over the visiting Raptors. Years later, Billups reflected on his stint in Boston, commenting, "That didn't help. That didn't give me a chance to really slow down and listen to myself, listen to the game and what's going on. I never really had that chance. It was a recipe for disaster there." In addition, the Celtics coaching staff did not know whether to play him as a
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...
or
shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...
. Fifty-one games later, Billups was traded to the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
on the trade deadline.


Toronto Raptors (1998-1999)

On February 18, 1998, Billups was traded to the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
, along with
Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...
, Dee Brown, and John Thomas in exchange for All-Star point guard Kenny Anderson,
Žan Tabak Žan Tabak (born 15 June 1970) is a Croatian professional basketball coach and former player who is now serving as the head coach for Trefl Sopot of the PLK. His basketball career, spanning twenty years, was marked by several notable achievemen ...
, and Popeye Jones. On February 22, in just his second career game with the Raptors, Billups recorded a then-career high of 27 points on 5-for-13 shooting from the field and 13-for-16 from the free throw line, to go along with 2 rebounds and 5 assists in a 113–105 win over the
Vancouver Grizzlies The Vancouver Grizzlies were a Canadian professional basketball team based in Vancouver. The Grizzlies competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Midwest Division (NBA), Midwest Division of the Western Conference ( ...
. On March 3, Billups recorded 26 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 6 assists in a 93–108 loss to the visiting
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
. On April 14, Billups recorded 19 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in a 96–92 road win over the New Jersey Nets.


Denver Nuggets (1999–2000)

On January 21, 1999, Billups was dealt to his hometown
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
in a three-way deal involving one of Billups's future teams, the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
. Minnesota received
Dean Garrett Dean Heath Garrett (born November 27, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player. At a height of tall, he played at the center position. College career Garrett attended San Clemente High School, in San Clemente, California, ...
and Bobby Jackson from Denver, Toronto received future teammate
Željko Rebrača Željko Rebrača ( sr-Cyrl, Жељко Ребрача; born 9 April 1972) is a Serbian former professional basketball player and currently the president of KK Vojvodina, Vojvodina basketball club. After playing in Europe and the National Basketba ...
and Micheal Williams from Minnesota and the 5th pick in the
1999 NBA draft The 1999–2000 NBA season, 1999 NBA draft was held on June 30, 1999, at the MCI Center (now Capital One Arena) in Washington, D.C. It was the first draft in which four players from the same college were picked in the first round, with Elton Bran ...
from Denver, and Billups, along with Tyson Wheeler, were sent to Denver from Toronto. Three months into his first tenure with the Nuggets, Billups visited a local Denver hospital in order to comfort and inspire Patrick Ireland, a victim of the 1999 Columbine High School Shooting Massacre. A year later, on February 1, 2000, Billups was traded to the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...
along with Ron Mercer and Johnny Taylor in exchange for Chris Gatling, Tariq Abdul-Wahad, a future first-round pick, and cash. Billups was on the injured list until season's end due to an injured shoulder and never played a game for the Magic. Despite this, he was included in the season-ending team photo. Among NBA circles, Billups was considered a draft bust.


Minnesota Timberwolves (2000–2002)

Billups was signed by the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
(who had been involved in the trade that sent Billups to Denver) as a back-up to then point guard Terrell Brandon, who would mentor the troubled player alongside Sam Mitchell,
Wally Szczerbiak Walter Robert Szczerbiak Jr. ( ; born March 5, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player and current color analyst for the New York Knicks on MSG Network. He played 10 seasons for four teams in the National Basketball Associati ...
, and
Kevin Garnett Kevin Maurice Garnett ( ; born May 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player who played 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Big Ticket," Garnett is considered one of the greatest power f ...
. Billups would work with his more experienced teammates on shooting, scouting, decision-making and the other attributes that came with playing point guard in the NBA, such as learning to work more effectively with teammates and deciding which plays would be most beneficial for the team in a specific situation. In his first career game with the Timberwolves, Billups recorded 15 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists in a 106–98 road win over the Houston Rockets. On November 11, 2000, Billups recorded his season-high in terms of points scored with 31 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 9 assists in a 103–92 road win over the Bucks. During the 2001–02 season, Brandon suffered a serious knee injury. Billups replaced him and had a breakthrough 2001–02 season. The Timberwolves won 50 games before they were swept by the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
in the first round of the playoffs, with Billups averaging 22 points per game in the series.


Detroit Pistons (2002–2008)


First year in Detroit (2002–2003)

After his breakthrough season, Billups became a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
. Billups wanted to return to the Timberwolves, but the team wanted to see how Brandon would respond to his knee injury. In July 2002, Billups signed a 5-year, $35 million contract with the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
to be the team's new starting
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...
. When he signed with the Pistons, he was forced to take the number 1 because number 4 was retired in honor of
Joe Dumars Joe Dumars III ( ; born May 24, 1963) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is the head of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans. He could play either shooting guard or point guard on offense and was ...
. Billups quickly earned respect from Pistons fans and colleagues for his tenacious defense and clutch shooting. In 2002–03, Billups helped Detroit finish first overall in the Eastern Conference with a 50–32 regular season record. Billups earned the nickname "Mr. Big-Shot" during the regular season for two events. He first made a game winning three on March 9 as time expired to beat the Golden State Warriors 107–105 and Billups scored 31 points. The second event was just over two weeks later on March 26. The Pistons were tied in overtime with the Atlanta Hawks 99–99 until Billups made a top-of-the-key triple with 0.5 seconds left to win the game. Billups finished with 22 points against the Hawks. In the 2003 Playoffs, the top-seed Pistons surprisingly fell behind the upstart 8-seed Orlando Magic in the first round series 3 games to 1. In game 5, Billups played a contributing role in his team's dominating 98–67 victory by scoring 15 points, tied for second on the Pistons. Having helped the Pistons stave off elimination in Game 5, Billups scored 40 points in game 6 to help the Pistons force a seventh game. In the decisive Game 7, Billups scored 37 points to help clinch the series 4–3. Detroit then beat the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, 4–2, to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, Detroit would be swept by the
New Jersey Nets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
, 4–0.
Rick Carlisle Richard Preston Carlisle ( ; born October 27, 1959) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has previously served as head coach of the Detroi ...
was fired as the head coach in the offseason and Larry Brown was hired.


Championship season and Finals MVP (2003–2004)

In the 2004 season, Billups averaged 16.9 points, 5.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. The Pistons improved their record to 54–28, but it was only good for the third seed overall in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. In the pivotal Game 3 during the first round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, which was tied 1–1, Billups led all scorers with 21 points and finished the scoring for his team by sinking 4 of 4 free throws in the final 31.2 seconds. These free throws were a key part of the Pistons effort to stave off the Bucks' relentless defense which kept Detroit from scoring a normal field goal during the last 5:34. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals versus the defending Eastern Conference Champions the New Jersey Nets, Billups banked in a half-court three as time expired in game 5 to send the game into overtime. The Pistons would lose in triple overtime. Finally, he helped Detroit overcome a 3–2 series deficit to win the series, 4–3. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, the Pistons won the gritty, defensive series, 4–2, by an average score of 75.2 PPG to the Pacers' 72.7 PPG. Billups helped Detroit win the
2004 NBA Finals The 2004 NBA Finals was the NBA Finals, championship round of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2003–04 NBA season, 2003–04 season, and the conclusion of the 2004 NBA playoffs, season's playoffs. This season's NBA Finals was contest ...
over the heavily favored
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
, 4–1. He averaged per game 21 points, 5.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, as well as shooting 50.1 percent field goals, 47.1 percent three-pointers, and 92.9 percent free throws to earn the
NBA Finals MVP Award The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (formerly known as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1969 NBA Finals. The award is decided by a panel of eleven medi ...
. Billups said of his MVP award, "Everybody deserves this. Not just me. I wish I could turn it into thirteen pieces and give a little bit to everybody."


Back-to-back All-Defensive honors (2004–2006)

The following season, Billups was named to the 2005 NBA Second All-Defensive Team, along with teammate Tayshaun Prince, while teammate and co-captain of the Pistons Ben Wallace took home the Defensive Player of the Year Award. The Pistons reached the
2005 NBA Finals The 2005 NBA Finals was the NBA Finals, championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2004–05 NBA season, 2004–05 season, and the culmination of the 2005 NBA playoffs, season's playoffs. The Western Conference (NBA), Wes ...
but lost in their bid to repeat as champions to the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
in seven games. In 2006, Billups was co-captain of the team. Billups was selected to play in the
2006 NBA All-Star Game The 2006 NBA All-Star Game was played on Sunday, February 19, 2006, at the Toyota Center in Houston, home of the Houston Rockets. The game was the 55th annual All-Star game. The theme song was by Houston native Chamillionaire who made a new ...
as a reserve for the Eastern Conference, along with teammates Rip Hamilton,
Rasheed Wallace Rasheed Abdul Wallace (born September 17, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. A native of Philadelphia, Wallace played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels before declaring for the draft in 1995. ...
and Ben Wallace. Pistons head coach
Flip Saunders Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders (February 23, 1955 – October 25, 2015) was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards. High schoo ...
coached the Eastern Conference squad and put all four Pistons in the game when the east was falling behind; they were able to get the Eastern All-Star team back in the game. During the 2006 NBA All-Star Weekend, Billups participated in the
Three-point Shootout The Three-Point Contest is a National Basketball Association (NBA) contest held on the Saturday before the annual All-Star Game as part of All-Star weekend. The 2019 iteration of the contest involved ten participants. From its introduction in 1 ...
contest. He was eliminated in the first round of the contest after scoring 12 points. Billups called this moment when all four Pistons entered the game at the same time, one of the highlight moments of his career. Although he captained the Pistons to a franchise best 64–18 record, they failed to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time in three years.


Final seasons in Detroit (2006–2008)

In the 2007 NBA All-Star Game, Billups was chosen as a reserve, along with teammate Rip Hamilton, for the Eastern Conference, despite an injury that kept Billups out of five games early on in the season. Billups also took part in the Shooting Stars Competition alongside former Piston and
Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006, and 2008 WNBA champions. Debuting in 1998, the Shock were one of the league's first expansion franchises. Th ...
head coach Bill Laimbeer and Shock star
Swin Cash Swintayla Marie Cash Canal (born September 22, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. She played in college for the University of Connecticut and professionally for 15 years in the Women's National Basketball Association (WN ...
. Team Detroit won the competition with Billups hitting the final half-court shot. On July 11, 2007, Billups signed a $46 million, four-year contract with the Pistons (which includes a team option for a fifth year at $14 million). He had been an
unrestricted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
for several days after he opted out of the previous contract, which he had signed in 2002. Billups was selected to play as a reserve in the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, along with teammates Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace, an injury replacement. In the first round of the 2008 NBA playoffs, during Game 3 against the Orlando Magic, Billups injured his right hamstring when Orlando Magic guard
Jameer Nelson Jameer Lamar Nelson Sr. (born February 9, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player who serves as general manager for the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Saint Joseph's Hawks men's ba ...
tangled with Billup's left leg on a drive to the bucket. Billups would sit for the 3 remaining games of the series. Billups and the Pistons again made it to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics, but lost the series, 4–2, to the eventual champions.


Return to Denver (2008–2011)

On November 3, 2008, Billups was traded back to his hometown team the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
along with Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb for
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson ( ; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "The Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as both a shooting guard and point guard. As an NBA rook ...
. Pistons GM
Joe Dumars Joe Dumars III ( ; born May 24, 1963) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is the head of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans. He could play either shooting guard or point guard on offense and was ...
said that it was "the hardest and toughest" move he had made as a general manager, describing Billups as "... a guy that I have looked at as a little brother." Billups chose the #7 jersey to honor
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
John Elway John Albert Elway Jr. (born June 28, 1960) is an American former professional football quarterback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he then spent 1 ...
, since two of his other favorite numbers, 1 and 4, were already worn by J. R. Smith and
Kenyon Martin Kenyon Lee Martin Sr. (born December 30, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a power forward, he played for the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, Los An ...
, respectively. He played his first game of the Nuggets' 2008–09 season on November 7, 2008. He recorded 15 points, four rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes of play in a 108–105 Nuggets' home win. Billups was the only Nugget to be selected to the 2009 NBA All-Star Game. He finished the season averaging 17.7 points and 6.4 assists per game. With Billups and
Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony ( ; born May 29, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. Anthony played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is a ten-time NBA All-Star Game, NBA All-Star and six-time All-NBA T ...
, the Nuggets accomplished a number of franchise milestones. Their 54–28 record matched a franchise record, and their 27–14 start was also a franchise record for wins in the first half of a season. This also marked the first time in the franchise's history the team had gotten 50 wins in back-to-back seasons. They led the Northwest division for much of the season, eventually winning the division and gaining the number two seed in the Western Conference, matching the highest the team had ever been seeded for the playoffs. In the first round, they defeated the
New Orleans Hornets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
in 5 games, which included a record-equaling 58-point margin-of-victory. Billups also set a Nuggets franchise record with the most three-pointers in a playoff game with 8, and his 19 three-pointers in total is a Nuggets record for threes made in a playoff series. In his first year with the Nuggets, Billups led them back to the NBA Conference Finals for the first time since 1985. They would play the Lakers for the second straight year (the Lakers had swept them in the first round the year before). The Nuggets would ultimately lose the series 4–2. This was Billups' 7th straight conference finals. He joined
Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...
,
Michael Cooper Michael Jerome Cooper (born April 15, 1956), nicknamed "Coop", is an American basketball coach and former player. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers during his entire career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning five NBA champ ...
,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...
, and Kurt Rambis as the only players to accomplish this feat since the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
of the 1950s and 1960s led by
Bill Russell William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played Center (basketball), center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was t ...
. Billups finished the season sixth in voting for the 2009
NBA Most Valuable Player Award The NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Since the 2022–23 season, winners receive the Michael Jor ...
. He was also selected to his second
All-NBA Third Team The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sel ...
. For the 2009–10 season, Billups reverted to wearing #1, the same number he wore with the Pistons. Teammate J. R. Smith, who had previously worn #1 since being acquired by the Nuggets in 2006, changed to the #5 jersey. On November 27, 2009, in the Nuggets' 128–125 win over the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
, Billups scored 32 points while teammate Carmelo Anthony scored 50. This made them only the third duo in NBA history to score at least 30 and 50 points respectively. On February 5, 2010, Billups set a career high in points with a 39-point performance in a road win over the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
with 27 of them coming from 9 three-pointers. Billups was chosen as the replacement by
David Stern David Joel Stern (September 22, 1942 – January 1, 2020) was an American lawyer and business executive who was the commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1984 to 2014. Stern oversaw NBA basketball's growth into one of t ...
for injured
New Orleans Hornets New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
point guard
Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and "the Point God", is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded by some as one of the greatest p ...
at the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. During the 2010–11 season, he averaged 16.5 points, 5.3 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game. His .441 three-point field goal percentage was a career high.


New York Knicks (2011)

Despite publicly professing his desire to finish his career in hometown Denver and retire as a member of the Nuggets, Billups was traded to the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
on February 22, 2011 as part of the
Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony ( ; born May 29, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. Anthony played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is a ten-time NBA All-Star Game, NBA All-Star and six-time All-NBA T ...
deal. Billups was "collateral damage"—as more than one sportswriter put it—of Carmelo Anthony's desire to play in New York and the Nuggets' desire to trade Anthony before he became a free agent. "Oh it was hard, hardest thing I've ever had to do", Billups said. "I had to tell my girls that daddy was traded, that he was leaving to play across the country. I told them it wasn't my choice, that nothing could be done about it. I had to go. It wasn't a happy scene." The Knicks finished 42–40 and clinched the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and made the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Billups suffered a knee injury while playing against the Celtics in Game 1 of the 2011 NBA Playoffs. The injury would keep Billups sidelined for the remainder of the playoffs. Shortly after the Knicks were eliminated from the playoffs by the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
, Billups mentioned he would love to return to the Knicks next season. "I would love the opportunity to really try it up with these guys", Billups said. "Not like play 30 games after a trade, like really have a season. Have an opportunity to really get a fair shake with these guys. I would love to." In December 2011, the Knicks used their amnesty clause on Billups and put him on waivers, ending his tenure with the Knicks.


Los Angeles Clippers (2011–2013)

After his tenure with the Knicks came to an end, Billups became an unrestricted free agent. Many believed that a contender like the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
or the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
would end up acquiring Billups. However, on December 12, 2011, the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
claimed Billups off waivers. Billups indicated that he didn't want to be picked up by a team that was not contending for a championship and said he would retire if he was, pushing the NBA to warn him and his agent that he would be "in breach of his contract" if he did not show up. However, the Clippers ended up trading for the Hornets' superstar point guard
Chris Paul Christopher Emmanuel Paul (born May 6, 1985), nicknamed "CP3" and "the Point God", is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Regarded by some as one of the greatest p ...
two days later. After the Chris Paul trade, Billups said that he was happy to be with the Clippers, saying that "I think these guys are ready to take the next leap and hopefully I can help with that." Billups, a point guard, was moved into the
shooting guard The shooting guard (SG), also known as the two, two guard or off guard,Shooting guards are 6'3"–6'7"BBC Sports academy URL last accessed 2006-09-09. is one of the five traditional basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game ...
position, which he was still getting used to when he was injured. On February 7, 2012, an MRI revealed a tear in Billups's Achilles tendon, ending his season after only 20 game appearances. Billups helped the Clippers beat Miami, Oklahoma City, Orlando, and the Los Angeles Lakers en route to a 19–9 start. On July 13, 2012, Billups re-signed with the Clippers on a one-year deal. He made his season debut on November 28, 2012, against the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
. He was limited to only 22 games during the season because of various injuries, including a sore back and tendinitis in his left foot. On June 10, 2013, Billups received the inaugural Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. He was humbled by the award and said, "For my name to be mentioned with /nowiki>Jack Twyman">Jack_Twyman.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Jack Twyman">/nowiki>Jack Twyman/nowiki>, I really don't feel worthy, to be honest with you. It's kind of embarrassing." During the 2012–13 season, Billups averaged a new career high free-throw percentage. He became a free agent after the season.


Return to Detroit (2013–2014)

On July 16, 2013, Billups signed a two-year, $5 million contract to return to the Detroit Pistons. More knee problems caused him to miss most of the 2013–14 season, as he appeared in his fewest games since the 1999–2000 season and averaged career lows in points, minutes, steals, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage during the year. The Pistons finished the season at 29–53 and missed the postseason. On June 30, 2014, the Pistons announced they would not pick up their NBA Salary Cap#Options">team option on Billups' contract for the 2014–15 season. On September 9, 2014, Billups announced his retirement from the NBA after 17 years. Billups cited his health as the main reason for his retirement, as he never appeared in more than 22 games in his last three seasons in the league. On February 10, 2016, the Pistons retired Billups' No. 1 jersey.


BIG3

In 2017, the creation of the 3-on-3 professional basketball league BIG3 was announced, with Billups set to be a player for the Killer 3's.


Coaching career


Los Angeles Clippers (2020–2021)

On November 16, 2020, Billups was hired as an assistant coach for the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
under head coach Tyronn Lue.


Portland Trail Blazers (2021–present)

On June 27, 2021, Billups was hired as head coach of the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
. On April 13, 2025, Billups and the Trail Blazers agreed to a multiyear contract extension.


Career statistics


Regular season

, - , rowspan="2" align="left" , , style="text-align:left;",
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, 51 , , 44 , , 25.4 , , .390 , , .339 , , .817 , , 2.2 , , 4.3 , , 1.5 , , .0 , , 11.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, 29 , , 26 , , 31.7 , , .349 , , .316 , , .919 , , 2.7 , , 3.3 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 11.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, 45 , , 41 , , 33.1 , , .386 , , .362 , , .913 , , 2.1 , , 3.8 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, 13 , , 5 , , 23.5 , , .337 , , .171 , , .841 , , 2.6 , , 3.0 , , .8 , , .2 , , 8.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, 77 , , 33 , , 23.2 , , .422 , , .376 , , .842 , , 2.1 , , 3.4 , , .7 , , .1 , , 9.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, 82 , , 54 , , 28.7 , , .423 , , .394 , , .885 , , 2.8 , , 5.5 , , .8 , , .2 , , 12.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 74 , , 74 , , 31.4 , , .421 , , .392 , , .878 , , 3.7 , , 3.9 , , .9 , , .2 , , 16.2 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", , style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 78 , , 78 , , 35.4 , , .394 , , .388 , , .878 , , 3.5 , , 5.7 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , 16.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 80 , , 80 , , 35.8 , , .442 , , .426 , , .898 , , 3.4 , , 5.8 , , 1.0 , , .1 , , 16.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 81 , , 81 , , 36.1 , , .418 , , .433 , , .894 , , 3.1 , , 8.6 , , .9 , , .1 , , 18.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 70 , , 70 , , 36.2 , , .427 , , .345 , , .883 , , 3.4 , , 7.2 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 17.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 78 , , 78 , , 32.3 , , .448 , , .401 , , .918 , , 2.7 , , 6.8 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , 17.0 , - , rowspan="2" align="left" , , style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 2 , , 2 , , 35.0 , , .333 , , .286 , , .918 , , 5.0 , , 7.5 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , 12.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, 77 , , 77 , , 35.3 , , .420 , , .410 , , .900 , , 3.0 , , 6.4 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , 17.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, 73 , , 73 , , 34.1 , , .418 , , .386 , , .910 , , 3.1 , , 5.6 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , 19.5 , - , rowspan="2" align="left" , , style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, 51 , , 51 , , 32.3 , , .438 , , .441 , , .923 , , 2.5 , , 5.3 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 16.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, 21 , , 21 , , 31.6 , , .403 , , .328 , , .902 , , 3.1 , , 5.5 , , .9 , , .1 , , 17.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 20 , , 20 , , 30.4 , , .364 , , .384 , , .895 , , 2.5 , , 4.0 , , .5 , , .2 , , 15.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 22 , , 22 , , 19.0 , , .402 , , .367 , , .938 , , 1.5 , , 2.2 , , .5 , , .0 , , 8.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 19 , , 7 , , 16.3 , , .304 , , .292 , , .833 , , 1.5 , , 2.2 , , .4 , , .1 , , 3.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 1043 , , 937 , , 31.6 , , .415 , , .387 , , .894 , , 2.9 , , 5.4 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 15.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 5 , , 0 , , 19.0 , , .455 , , .320 , , .750 , , 2.2 , , 5.0 , , .4 , , .0 , , 10.2


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, 3 , , 0 , , 8.7 , , .167 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 1.7 , , .7 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, 3 , , 3 , , 44.7 , , .451 , , .400 , , .700 , , 5.0 , , 5.7 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 22.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 14 , , 14 , , 34.6 , , .374 , , .310 , , .933 , , 3.4 , , 4.7 , , .6 , , .1 , , 18.0 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 23 , , 23 , , 38.3 , , .385 , , .346 , , .890 , , 3.0 , , 5.9 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 16.4 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 25 , , 25 , , 39.4 , , .428 , , .349 , , .893 , , 4.3 , , 6.5 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 18.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 18 , , 18 , , 39.2 , , .406 , , .340 , , .905 , , 3.4 , , 6.5 , , 1.2 , , .1 , , 17.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 16 , , 16 , , 40.6 , , .435 , , .389 , , .832 , , 3.3 , , 5.7 , , 1.2 , , .1 , , 18.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, 15 , , 15 , , 32.0 , , .401 , , .375 , , .832 , , 2.9 , , 5.5 , , .8 , , .1 , , 16.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, 16 , , 16 , , 38.7 , , .457 , , .468 , , .906 , , 3.8 , , 6.8 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 20.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, 6 , , 6 , , 34.5 , , .446 , , .355 , , .881 , , 2.3 , , 6.3 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 20.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
, style="text-align:left;",
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, 1 , , 1 , , 35.0 , , .273 , , .333 , , 1.000 , , 2.0 , , 4.0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 10.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 6 , , 6 , , 19.2 , , .306 , , .353 , , .818 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , .2 , , 6.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 146 , , 143 , , 36.4 , , .411 , , .366 , , .880 , , 3.4 , , 5.7 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 17.3


Head coaching record

, - , align="left", Portland , align="left", , 82, , 27, , 55, , , , align="center", 4th in
Northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...
, , , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center", Missed playoffs , - , align="left", Portland , align="left", , 82, , 33, , 49, , , , align="center", 5th in Northwest, , , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center", Missed playoffs , - , align="left", Portland , align="left", , 82, , 21, , 61, , , , align="center", 5th in Northwest, , , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center", Missed playoffs , - , align="left", Portland , align="left", , 82, , 36, , 46, , , , align="center", 4th in Northwest, , , —, , —, , —, , — , align="center", Missed playoffs , - class="sortbottom" , align="center" colspan="2", Career, , 328, , 117, , 211, , , ,  , , 0, , 0, , 0, , , ,  


National team career

On March 5, 2006, Billups was selected to be a part of the 2006–2008 USA Men's Senior National Team program developed to restore Team USA back to the top of the basketball world after disappointments in the
2002 FIBA World Championship The 2002 FIBA World Championship was the 14th edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. The tournament was held by the FIBA, International Basketb ...
and the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. After missing out in the
2006 FIBA World Championship The 2006 FIBA World Championship was the 15th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. The tournament was hosted by Japan and held from 19 August to 3 September 2006. It was co-organised b ...
for personal reasons, on August 20, 2007, Billups was selected to be a part of Team USA that competed at the
2007 FIBA Americas Championship The 2007 FIBA Americas Championships later known as the FIBA AmeriCup (or The Tournament of the Americas), was a basketball tournament held at Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, from August 22, to September 2. It was the thirteenth staging of the ...
, a qualifying tournament for the Beijing Olympics. Coming off the bench, he along with the other new members of the team including All Star
Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...
helped USA go unbeaten at the tournament held in Las Vegas and earn a spot at next Summer Olympics. On June 17, 2008, Billups announced he would not compete for a spot to be on the Olympic squad stating family reasons though he did say "they'll be fine. And when they win the gold, I'll feel like I had a big hand in regaining our dominance because of what we did last summer." During the tournament, Team USA went unbeaten on their way to their first gold medal since the 2000 Olympics, defeating Spain in the final.


Television career

Billups joined
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
in the 2014–15 NBA season as a studio analyst on ''
SportsCenter ''SportsCenter'' (SC) is an American television sports news broadcasting show broadcast by ESPN. Originally anchored by Chris Berman, George Grande,  Greg Gumbel, Lee Leonard, Bob Ley, Sal Marchiano and Lou Palmer, it premiered on Septem ...
'' and other programming. The following season, Billups joined '' NBA Countdown'' as a studio analyst on Wednesdays. In the ensuing three seasons, he began splitting time between the studio and working as a game analyst on selected telecasts. Finally, on August 16, 2019, Billups announced that he was exiting his role on ''NBA Countdown'' to become the game analyst on
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
telecasts as part of that team's restructuring of the broadcast crew due to the retirement of longtime play-by-play announcer Ralph Lawler. Billups indicated that he would also continue to call selected NBA game telecasts on ESPN in addition to his duties with the Clippers.


Personal life

Billups and his wife have three daughters. His younger brother, Rodney, played point guard for the
University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private research university in Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1864, it has an enrollment of approximately 5,700 undergraduate students and 7,200 graduate students. It is classified among "R1: D ...
from 2002 to 2005, was drafted in the
NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, ...
, played professionally in Europe, and went on to a coaching career, becoming head coach of the Denver Pioneers in 2016. Billups is the first cousin of
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
LenDale White LenDale Anthony White (born December 20, 1984) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the second round (45th overall) of the ...
. His second cousin Amir Billups of the Buffalo 716ers was killed in a 2015 car accident. Billups wore the #4 through high school and college and at times during his professional career because he idolized former Pistons guard
Joe Dumars Joe Dumars III ( ; born May 24, 1963) is an American professional basketball executive and former player who is the head of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans. He could play either shooting guard or point guard on offense and was ...
, the Pistons' President of Basketball Operations during his time with Detroit. His favorite NFL team is the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
. Billups was featured on the cover of the video game '' NBA Ballers: Phenom'' and is the player's mentor. On June 16, 2008, Billups appeared at
Joe Louis Arena Joe Louis Arena was an arena in Downtown Detroit. Completed in 1979 at a cost of US$57 million as a replacement for Olympia Stadium, it sat adjacent to Cobo Center on the bank of the Detroit River and was accessible by the Joe Louis Arena ...
for a
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
rally. The Coors Events Center has a large mural of Billups in the northeast corner of the arena as part of his "Chauncey's Kid Roundup" program.


Sexual assault allegation

In 1997, Billups and fellow former Celtic Ron Mercer were accused of sexually assaulting a woman at the home of teammate Antoine Walker. According to a civil suit, Billups, Mercer and Walker's roommate Michael Irvin assaulted the woman at Walker's condo after leaving a Boston comedy club on November 9, 1997. A medical examination on the following day revealed injuries consistent with the victim's testimony. No criminal charges were filed, but Billups and Mercer settled a civil suit in 2000. Before he was hired as the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers, the club asserted that they had investigated this allegation and concluded it did not disqualify him from taking the role.


See also

* List of NBA career 3-point scoring leaders * List of NBA career free throw percentage leaders * List of NBA career playoff 3-point scoring leaders * List of NBA career playoff free throw scoring leaders


References


External links


JockBio.com Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Billups, Chauncey 1976 births Living people 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen 21st-century American sportsmen 2010 FIBA World Championship players All-American college men's basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Canada American men's 3x3 basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Denver Big3 players Boston Celtics draft picks Boston Celtics players Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball players Denver Nuggets players Detroit Pistons players ESPN people FIBA World Championship–winning players Los Angeles Clippers assistant coaches Los Angeles Clippers players McDonald's High School All-Americans Minnesota Timberwolves players Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees NBA All-Stars NBA players with retired numbers New York Knicks players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Point guards Portland Trail Blazers head coaches Shooting guards Toronto Raptors players United States men's national basketball team players