Ex-Clippers veteran, assistant, now a Hall of Famer

Former Clippers guard and assistant coach Chauncey Billups was officially enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday as a member of the Class of 2024, joining the likes of Vince Carter, Michael Cooper, Jerry West, Doug Collins, and eight other legends of the game.

Billups: Finally a Hall of Famer

In his honorable speech on Sunday, Billups was presented by his former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Ben Wallace, together with WNBA great Tina Thompson.

Chauncey played for seven franchises over 17 years, including the Clippers, from 2011 to 2013. As such, he was remarkably well-known during his run with the Detroit Pistons. The No. 3 overall pick of the 1997 Draft emerged as a late bloomer upon his arrival in the Motor City in 2002, becoming the team's renowned floor general and leader. The 48-year-old retired from the game in 2014 with five All-Star selections, three All-NBA honors, and the 2004 Finals MVP award for his stellar play in the Pistons' historic third championship rally.

Billups spent most of his speech reflecting on his illustrious career and expressing his gratitude to everyone who aided him in his Hall of Fame journey.

Mr. Big Shot as a Clipper

Even though he only played briefly with the Clippers at the twilight of his career, Billups is still highly respected by everyone within the L.A. organization. During his time with the team, he served as a coveted mentor and a backup playmaker for Chris Paul, averaging 11.5 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.0 rebounds across 42 games wearing a Clipper uniform.

Seven years later, Chauncey made a comeback within Clippertown by becoming an assistant in the 2020-21 season. In his Hall of Fame speech, Billups expressed his heartfelt appreciation to Ty Lue for allowing him to coach, which propelled him into becoming the current Portland Trail Blazers' mentor.

"To my best friend for almost 30 years, Ty Lue, who has been responsible for getting me into coaching. I love you, bro. I'll be on the seats when you get into the Hall of Fame as a coach," Billups said.

Related: The LA Clippers face off against the Dallas Mavericks in the inaugural game at the Intuit Dome