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Dec 18, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Detroit Pistons shooting guard Chauncey Billups (1) shares a laugh with teammates during the fourth quarter of Detroit's 107-106 win over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Blazers Coach Reps Detroit Pistons on Major NBA List

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 9:35 AM ET

These days, Chauncey Billups has a reputation for leading the young and rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers as their head coach. Before that, he was a notable guard for the Detroit Pistons.

Recently, Bleacher Report revealed an NBA Top 100 list of the best players the league has seen. An entire NBA writing staff voted Billups in as No. 91 on the NBA GOAT list.

Out of all the players who stepped foot on the court over time, that’s a good spot to be in in history.

“Never the tallest, fastest or most efficient player, Mr. Big Shot had a reputation for tough-nosed defense, novel-for-the-era outside touch and expert game management. He was the face of that 2003-04 Detroit Pistons title team, which many believed lacked a true star. Billups didn’t receive a regular-season honor that year, but he was certainly a star in his own right.”

Billups was a major player coming out of Colorado in 1997. He started his NBA career with the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors. After getting selected by Boston with the third-overall pick, Billups was traded after 51 games.

By the time he reached his second season, Billups was traded twice, He played a couple of seasons for the Denver Nuggets before ending up on the Minnesota Timberwolves through free agency in 2000. After two years with the Wolves, Billups found his way to Detroit, Michigan.

Although Billups suited up for a lot of teams, his most notable years came with the Pistons.

Billups spent eight seasons in Detroit. He posted averages of 17 points, six assists, and three rebounds while shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.

After his Pistons tenure concluded in 2009, Billups ended up back on the Nuggets. Before wrapping up his career in 2014, Billups spent time with the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers before finishing up with a 19-game stint back in Detroit.

“Somewhat weirdly, each of his three All-NBA selections came after his 29th birthday,” BR wrote.

“His highest-scoring season, meanwhile, came at the age of 33 in 2009-10, as a member of the Denver Nuggets. That performance, in hindsight, was a masterclass in scalability and longevity. Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Larry Bird are the only other players to have seasons at that age or older in which they cleared 19 points and five assists while downing 38-plus percent of their threes and over 90 percent of their free throws.”

When Billups hung up his jersey, he left the NBA with quite a decorated resume. He was a one-time NBA Champion who was named the NBA Finals MVP in 2004. He had five All-Star selections, three All-NBA nods, and two All-Defensive nods.

Since retiring, Billups has embraced a role in coaching. He started his coaching career as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2020. It wouldn’t take long before the Blazers gave him a call. Billups signed with the Blazers in 2021 and has been their coach ever since.

In four seasons under Billups, the Blazers have achieved a 117-211 record. They missed the playoffs each year. While Billups hasn’t had much success in Portland just yet, the Blazers remain committed to him long-term. Back in April, he signed a multi-year extension.