(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Monday, September 25, is the 47th birthday of former NBA guard Chauncey Billups, who was a five-time All-Star during his 17-year career in the league.
He had quite a journey through the years, and it was an example of how one can get rid of a negative narrative and replace it with a sterling one.
HBD Chauncey Billups aka @1MrBigShot
First 1st 6 seasons Played for 6 teams
Next 7 seasons: NBA Champion NBA Finals MVP 5 x All-Star 3 x All-NBA 2 x All-Defense pic.twitter.com/wnIN2k7mwA
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) September 25, 2023
Across Twitter, fans wished him well on this special day.
Enjoy your Day
— NYCDaFuture (@NYCDaFuture_) September 25, 2023
one of the most underrated players of the 2000’s
— nba_jaymin (@nbajaymin) September 25, 2023
Happy Birthday Big Shot
— Joshua Howard (@Joshua_dHoward) September 25, 2023
Underrated
— Space Traveller (@Chichinaski) September 25, 2023
Billups, who is originally from Denver, was the No. 3 pick in the 1997 NBA Draft out of the University of Colorado Boulder.
As a rookie, he didn’t quite measure up, as he shot a putrid 37.4 percent from the field, and the Boston Celtics ended up trading him to the Toronto Raptors midway through the season.
Over the next four seasons, he would also play for the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves as he was passed around like a hot potato, and during that time, he developed a reputation as a malcontent who wouldn’t live up to his potential as a player.
Billups then signed with the Detroit Pistons in 2002, and that’s when everything started to turn around.
As they built a winner, he found a home with them, and they unexpectedly reached the NBA Finals in 2004 versus Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and the dynastic Los Angeles Lakers.
Detroit was a huge underdog in that series, but Billups shined brightly and led his team to the world championship in just five games.
He averaged 21.0 points a game on 50.9 percent overall shooting and 47.1 percent from 3-point range, earning him the NBA Finals MVP award.
Now, Billups suddenly had a reputation as a strong leader, and it was reinforced when he was traded back to the Nuggets at the start of the 2008-09 season.
He helped transform a selfish, me-first team into one that was focused on team play and defense and guided them to the Western Conference Finals.
Now, Billups is heading into his third season as the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and although they’re dealing with the saga resulting from Damian Lillard’s trade demand, they have a young, promising roster Billups can mold into a winner.
The post Fans Celebrate A Special Day For Chauncey Billups appeared first on The Cold Wire.
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