Chauncey Billups ended his career as an NBA champion and a Hall of Famer. However, if you were only there when the stocky 6-foot-3 guard finally made it to the top, you may have missed the difficulties he encountered in getting his pro career off the ground.
Despite being the Boston Celtics' third overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, the former Colorado standout got traded three times, eventually playing for five teams in his first five years in the league. According to Chauncey, it wasn't until he landed in Minnesota and got to play with veteran Terrell Brandon that he finally understood what it meant to be a point guard.
A rough start
Billups had high hopes for his pro career after a stellar two-year stint with the Colorado Buffaloes, where he averaged 18.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. However, as fellow draft picks Tim Duncan, Keith Van Horn, and Ron Mercer flourished in their rookie seasons, Chauncey struggled to find the bottom of the net, making only 39 percent of his shots. He was later traded to Toronto and Denver before signing with Minnesota for the 2000-2001 season.
"Being the third pick and bouncing around like that, they were talking about me being a bust. At that time, I was a bust. I didn't exceed the expectations of where I was supposed to be. It was true," the man known as "Mr. Big Shot" said on "7PM in Brooklyn." "So, having to get off the mat and really turn that around, for me, it happened mostly in Minnesota."
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Began turning his career around in Minnesota
After bouncing around the league in his first three seasons, Chauncey finally landed on solid ground with the Timberwolves, which, at the time, had Brandon as the starting point guard. A 5-foot-11 guard from Oregon, regarded as one of the nicest guys in the league, Terrell took Billups under his wing and taught him the tricks of the trade.
"I got to learn from Terrell Brandon. This dude was cold, man, but he poured into me. He taught me how to read pick and roll, how to read defenses," Chauncey shared.
However, the moment that flipped the switch for Billups came during a game where Terrell had it going, scoring 16 points and nine assists at halftime. However, rather than being happy about his numbers, Chauncey saw that his mentor was upset.
"He was killing it, but he was so upset. I was like, 'Bro, what's up? With 16, I would have been so happy.' I was like, 'Yo TB, what's up?' He said, 'This ain't going right,'" Chauncey narrated.
"I asked what he meant. He said, 'I'm the point guard. Big Ticket (Kevin Garnett) only has six and six. Our best player. If he doesn't come in here with like 18 and seven at the half or 16, then I ain't did my job.' Wow. I wasn't even thinking like that," he continued.
At that moment, Chauncey truly understood what it meant to be a point guard. It was more than just scoring and facilitating the offense; it was about being a leader on the court and making sure your teammates were playing at their best.
From that point on, Billups adopted a new mentality. He became more focused on setting up his teammates for success rather than solely focusing on his own stats.
"Mr. Big Shot" eventually brought this approach to Detroit, where he thrived, becoming an All-Star, an All-NBA, and an All-Defensive team member. His veteran chops also helped the Pistons take down the mighty Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals, where he was named the Finals MVP.
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