Career Timeline of Chauncey Billups: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Chauncey Billups built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Chauncey Billups is a former professional basketball player and current head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. Drafted third overall in 1997, Billups played 17 years in the NBA, most notably with the Detroit Pistons, where he earned the nickname "Mr. Big Shot" for his clutch performances. He led the Pistons to an NBA Championship in 2004, earning Finals MVP. A five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection, Billups also played for several other teams, including the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Clippers. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1996: College Basketball at Colorado

In 1996, Chauncey Billups played basketball at the University of Colorado Boulder. He was named to the All-Big 12 Conference First Team, the Basketball Times All-American First Team, and Consensus 2nd team All-American during the 1996–97 season. He also led the Buffaloes to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 28 years.

1997: NBA Debut and Trade

In 1997, Chauncey Billups was drafted by the Boston Celtics. However, he did not mesh well with the team and was later traded to the Toronto Raptors.

1997: Drafted by the Boston Celtics

In 1997, Chauncey Billups was selected third overall in the NBA draft by the Boston Celtics after playing college basketball with the Colorado Buffaloes.

February 18, 1998: Trade to Toronto Raptors

On February 18, 1998, Chauncey Billups was traded to the Toronto Raptors along with Roy Rogers, Dee Brown, and John Thomas in exchange for Kenny Anderson, Žan Tabak, and Popeye Jones.

January 21, 1999: Trade to Denver Nuggets

On January 21, 1999, Chauncey Billups was traded to the Denver Nuggets in a three-way deal. He would later visit Patrick Ireland, a victim of the Columbine High School Shooting Massacre.

February 1, 2000: Trade to Orlando Magic

On February 1, 2000, Chauncey Billups was traded to the Orlando Magic along with Ron Mercer and Johnny Taylor in exchange for Chris Gatling, Tariq Abdul-Wahad, a future first-round pick and cash.

November 11, 2000: Season-High Points

On November 11, 2000, Chauncey Billups recorded his season-high in terms of points scored with 31 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 9 assists in a 103–92 road win over the Bucks.

2001: Breakthrough Season

During the 2001–02 season, Chauncey Billups had a breakthrough season replacing the injured Brandon. The Timberwolves won 50 games before being swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.

July 2002: Signed with the Detroit Pistons

In July 2002, Chauncey Billups signed a 6-year, $34 million contract with the Detroit Pistons to be the team's new starting point guard.

2002: Signed Contract with Pistons

In 2002, Chauncey Billups signed a contract with the Pistons.

2002: Helped Detroit Finish First Overall

In 2002–03, Billups helped Detroit finish first overall in the Eastern Conference with a 50–32 regular season record.

2003: "Mr. Big-Shot" Emerges

In 2003, Billups earned the nickname "Mr. Big-Shot" for game-winning plays, including a game-winning three-pointer on March 9 against the Golden State Warriors and another on March 26 against the Atlanta Hawks. He also scored 40 points in game 6 and 37 points in game 7 to help the Pistons clinch the first-round series against the Orlando Magic.

2004: NBA Finals MVP Award

In 2004, Chauncey Billups led the Detroit Pistons to win the NBA Finals over the Los Angeles Lakers and earned the NBA Finals MVP Award.

2004: Regular Season Performance

In the 2004 season, Chauncey Billups averaged 16.9 points, 5.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game for the Detroit Pistons. The team improved their record to 54–28, earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

2005: All-Defensive Team Selection and Finals Appearance

In 2005, Chauncey Billups was named to the NBA Second All-Defensive Team. The Pistons reached the 2005 NBA Finals but lost to the San Antonio Spurs.

March 5, 2006: Selection for USA Men's Senior National Team

On March 5, 2006, Chauncey Billups was selected to be a part of the 2006–2008 USA Men's Senior National Team program, which was developed to restore Team USA back to the top of the basketball world. This was after disappointments in the 2002 FIBA World Championship and the 2004 Summer Olympic Games.

2006: All-Star Selection and Franchise Record

In 2006, Chauncey Billups was selected to play in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game and participated in the Three-point Shootout contest. The Pistons achieved a franchise-best 64–18 record but did not make the NBA Finals.

July 11, 2007: Contract Extension with Pistons

On July 11, 2007, Chauncey Billups signed a $46 million, four-year contract with the Detroit Pistons.

August 20, 2007: Selection for Team USA

On August 20, 2007, Billups was selected to be a part of Team USA that competed at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship. The tournament was a qualifying tournament for the Beijing Olympics. He came off the bench to help USA go unbeaten and earn a spot at the Olympics.

2007: All-Star Selection and Shooting Stars Win

In 2007, Chauncey Billups was chosen as a reserve for the Eastern Conference in the NBA All-Star Game and won the Shooting Stars Competition with Team Detroit.

June 17, 2008: Billups withdraws from Olympic consideration

On June 17, 2008, Billups announced he would not compete for a spot on the Olympic squad, citing family reasons. He expressed confidence that the team would win gold and that he had played a role in helping the team regain dominance.

November 3, 2008: Trade to Denver Nuggets

On November 3, 2008, Chauncey Billups was traded back to his hometown team, the Denver Nuggets, along with Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb for Allen Iverson.

November 7, 2008: Nuggets Debut

On November 7, 2008, Chauncey Billups played his first game of the Nuggets' 2008–09 season, recording 15 points in a win.

2008: Playoff Injury and Conference Finals Loss

During the 2008 NBA playoffs, Chauncey Billups injured his right hamstring. The Pistons made it to the Eastern Conference Finals but lost to the Celtics.

2008: All-Star Selection

In 2008, Chauncey Billups was selected to play as a reserve in the NBA All-Star Game.

2009: All-Star Selection and Season Stats

In 2009, Chauncey Billups was selected to the NBA All-Star Game and finished the season averaging 17.7 points and 6.4 assists per game.

February 5, 2010: Career High in Points

On February 5, 2010, Billups set a career high in points with a 39-point performance in a road win over the Los Angeles Lakers with 27 of those points coming from 9 three-pointers.