Chauncey Billups facts for kids
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Billups coaching the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021
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| Portland Trail Blazers | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Head coach | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | September 25, 1976 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
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| High school | George Washington (Denver, Colorado) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Colorado (1995–1997) | |||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1997 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall | |||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Boston Celtics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1997–2014 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2020–present | |||||||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Boston Celtics | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Toronto Raptors | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Denver Nuggets | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Minnesota Timberwolves | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2008 | Detroit Pistons | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Denver Nuggets | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | New York Knicks | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Los Angeles Clippers | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Detroit Pistons | |||||||||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Los Angeles Clippers (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–present | Portland Trail Blazers | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 15,802 (15.2 ppg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 2,992 (2.9 rpg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 5,636 (5.4 apg) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Chauncey Ray Billups (born September 25, 1976) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Billups played college basketball for the Colorado Buffaloes. He was picked third overall in the 1997 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. He spent most of his 17-year career with the Detroit Pistons. There, he won the NBA Finals MVP award in 2004. He helped the Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. People called him "Mr. Big Shot" because he often made important shots late in games.
He was an NBA All-Star five times. He was also chosen for the All-NBA Team three times and the NBA All-Defensive Team twice. Billups also played for the Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Clippers. After retiring as a player in 2014, he became a studio analyst. The Pistons honored him by retiring his No. 1 jersey in 2016. He started coaching as an assistant for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2020. In 2021, he became the head coach of the Trail Blazers. In 2024, he was announced as a future member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Contents
High School Basketball Star
Chauncey Billups was born in Denver, Colorado. He went to George Washington High School and graduated in 1995.
During high school, he was a top player. He was chosen for the All-State first team four times. He was also named Colorado Mr. Basketball three times. As a sophomore and junior, he was Colorado Player of the Year. He even started playing varsity as a freshman. He was picked for the 1995 McDonald's All-American Team. However, he could not play due to a shoulder injury.
College Career at Colorado
Billups chose to play college basketball at the University of Colorado Boulder. He played for the Buffaloes for two seasons. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game.
In the 1996–97 season, he was named to the All-Big 12 Conference First Team. He also made the Basketball Times All-American First Team. Colorado finished second in the Big 12 conference that season. They had a great record of 22–10.
Billups led the Buffaloes to their first NCAA tournament in 28 years. As a 9-seed, they upset the 8-seed Indiana Hoosiers 80–62. However, they then lost to the North Carolina Tar Heels. Billups averaged 17.5 points in those tournament games.
College Awards and Honors
- Consensus second-team All-American (1997)
- All-Big 12 First Team (1997)
- His No. 4 jersey was retired by the University of Colorado.
Professional Basketball Journey
Early NBA Years (1997–2002)
Billups was drafted third overall by the Boston Celtics in 1997. He didn't stay long with the Celtics. He was traded to the Toronto Raptors in February 1998.
In January 1999, Billups was traded to his hometown team, the Denver Nuggets. He played there for about a year. He was then traded to the Orlando Magic, but he never played a game for them due to an injury.
Many people thought Billups might not succeed in the NBA. But he proved them wrong. He signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000. He became a key player there, especially in the 2001–02 season. The Timberwolves won 50 games that year.
Detroit Pistons: "Mr. Big Shot" Era (2002–2008)
In 2002, Billups joined the Detroit Pistons. He quickly became known for his strong defense and making important shots. He earned the nickname "Mr. Big Shot." He made game-winning shots against the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks in his first season.
In the 2003 playoffs, the Pistons were down 3-1 to the Orlando Magic. Billups scored 40 points in Game 6 and 37 points in Game 7. This helped the Pistons win the series. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals but lost.
NBA Championship and MVP (2004)
The 2004 season was special. Billups helped the Pistons reach the 2004 NBA Finals. They faced the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers. The Pistons won the championship, beating the Lakers 4-1.
Billups played amazingly in the Finals. He averaged 21 points and 5.2 assists per game. He also shot very well from the field and free throw line. He was named the NBA Finals MVP. He said the award belonged to everyone on the team.
All-Star Seasons (2004–2008)
Billups continued to shine. He was named to the NBA Second All-Defensive Team in 2005. The Pistons returned to the 2005 NBA Finals but lost to the San Antonio Spurs.
He was selected for the NBA All-Star Game five times (2006-2010). In 2006, all four Pistons All-Stars played together in the game. Billups called this a career highlight. He also won the Shooting Stars Competition in 2007.
In 2008, Billups and the Pistons made it to the Eastern Conference Finals again. They lost to the Boston Celtics, who later won the championship.
Return to Denver (2008–2011)
On November 3, 2008, Billups was traded back to his hometown team, the Denver Nuggets. He chose jersey number 7 to honor Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway.
With Billups and Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets had great success. They matched a franchise record with 54 wins in 2009. They reached the NBA Conference Finals for the first time since 1985. They lost to the Lakers, but Billups had a great playoff run. He set a Nuggets record for most three-pointers in a playoff game.
In the 2009–10 season, Billups changed his jersey number back to 1. He scored a career-high 39 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. He was also chosen for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game.
Later Career (2011–2014)
In 2011, Billups was traded to the New York Knicks. He was injured during the playoffs and missed the rest of the series. The Knicks later released him.
He then joined the Los Angeles Clippers in December 2011. He was excited to join a team that was ready to compete. However, he tore his Achilles tendon in February 2012, ending his season early. He re-signed with the Clippers in 2012 but played limited games due to injuries. In 2013, he received the first-ever Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.
Billups returned to the Detroit Pistons for the 2013–14 season. More knee problems limited him to only 19 games. He announced his retirement from the NBA on September 9, 2014, after 17 years. His health was the main reason for his retirement.
On February 10, 2016, the Pistons retired Billups' No. 1 jersey.
Coaching Career
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After his playing career, Billups worked as a studio analyst for ESPN. In 2020, he became an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers.
On June 27, 2021, Chauncey Billups was hired as the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.
National Team Career
Billups played for the USA Men's Senior National Team. In 2007, he helped Team USA win the FIBA Americas Championship. This win helped the U.S. qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Billups did not play in the Olympics, but he felt he helped the team regain its dominance. Team USA won the gold medal in 2008.
In 2010, Billups also helped Team USA win the 2010 FIBA World Championship trophy in Turkey.
Personal Life
Chauncey Billups is married and has three daughters. His younger brother, Rodney Billups, also played basketball and became a coach.
Billups wore the number 4 in high school and college because he looked up to former Pistons player Joe Dumars. His favorite NFL team is the Denver Broncos.
Billups was featured on the cover of the video game NBA Ballers: Phenom. He was the player's mentor in the game.
Images for kids
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Billups taking a shot against the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006.
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Billups (left) and Lamar Odom holding the 2010 FIBA World Championship trophy.
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
