History of Chauncey Billups in Timeline

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.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

September 25, 1976: Chauncey Billups Born

On September 25, 1976, Chauncey Ray Billups was born. He would later become an American professional basketball coach and former player.

Others born on this day/year

1995: High School Achievements

In 1995, Chauncey Billups graduated from George Washington High School, where he achieved numerous accolades, including being a four-time All-State first team pick, three-time Colorado Mr. Basketball, and Colorado Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior. He was also selected to the 1995 McDonald's All-American Team but did not play due to a shoulder injury.

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 16, 2008: Billups at Barack Obama rally

On June 16, 2008, Billups appeared at Joe Louis Arena for a Barack Obama rally.

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.

November 27, 2009: Billups and Anthony Make NBA History

On November 27, 2009, in the Nuggets' 128–125 win over the New York Knicks, Billups scored 32 points while teammate Carmelo Anthony scored 50. This made them only the third duo in NBA history to score at least 30 and 50 points, respectively.

2009: Sixth in MVP voting and All-NBA Third Team selection

In 2009, Billups finished the season sixth in voting for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. He was also selected to his second All-NBA Third Team.

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.

June 10, 2013: Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award

On June 10, 2013, Billups received the inaugural Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award and was humbled by it.

July 16, 2013: Returns to the Detroit Pistons

On July 16, 2013, Billups signed a two-year, $5 million contract to return to the Detroit Pistons.

June 30, 2014: Pistons Decline Team Option

On June 30, 2014, the Pistons announced they would not pick up their team option on Billups's contract for the 2014–15 season.

September 9, 2014: Retirement Announcement

On September 9, 2014, Billups announced his retirement from the NBA after 17 years. Billups cited his health as the main reason for his retirement, as he never appeared in more than 22 games in his last three seasons in the league.

2014: Retirement and Analyst Work

In 2014, Chauncey Billups retired from playing professional basketball and began working as a studio analyst.

February 10, 2016: Pistons Retire Billups's Jersey

On February 10, 2016, the Detroit Pistons retired Billups's No. 1 jersey.

2016: Pistons Retire Jersey

In 2016, the Detroit Pistons retired Chauncey Billups' No. 1 jersey in honor of his contributions to the team.

November 16, 2020: Hired as Assistant Coach for Los Angeles Clippers

On November 16, 2020, Billups was hired as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Clippers under head coach Tyronn Lue.

2020: Assistant Coaching Role

During the 2020–21 season, Chauncey Billups started his coaching career as an assistant for the Los Angeles Clippers.

June 27, 2021: Hired as Head Coach of Portland Trail Blazers

On June 27, 2021, Billups was hired as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.

2021: Head Coach Appointment

In 2021, Chauncey Billups was appointed as the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.

2024: Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

In 2024, Chauncey Billups was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, recognizing his significant contributions to basketball.

April 13, 2025: Contract Extension with Trail Blazers

On April 13, 2025, Billups and the Trail Blazers agreed to a multiyear contract extension.

October 2025: Arrested by the FBI

In October 2025, Chauncey Billups was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for his alleged involvement in an illegal gambling scheme.