NBA - Chauncey Billups calls it a day
By Homer D. Sayson
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 12 Sep 2014
Billups.
CHICAGO -- Chauncey Billups, one of the best point guards to ever play the position, announced his retirement on Tuesday, ending a decorated 17 years in the NBA.
"It's just time. I know when it's time. My mind and desire is still strong. I just can't ignore the fact that I haven't been healthy for three years. I can try and get to a point where I think I can go but just can't sustain," the 37-year old Billups told Yahoo! Sports.
Billups joined the NBA via the 1997 Draft, where he was picked No.3 behind No.1 Tim Duncan of Wake Forest and Keith Van Horn of Utah. A veteran of 17 seaosns, he played for the Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, and the Los Angeles Clippers.
But Billups made his mark as a Detroit Piston, winning the NBA title in 2004 while pocketing the Finals MVP award. He also received 5 All-Star nods in Detroit from 2006 to 2010.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound court general appeared in 1,043 regular season games and averaged 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists an outing. He also made a staggering total of 1,830 3-point shots, most of which under pressure and appropriately earning him the monicker Mr. Big Shot.
"I'm happy, excited. The game was very, very good to me," Billups said. The game was extremely generous to him as well.
According to basketballreference.com, Billups made a whopping $107.2 million in NBA salaries over the years. And now that the playing phase of his career has culminated he looks forward to getting and front office job or a broadcasting stint.
But his fondest wish is an enshrinement to the Hall of Fame. (Homer D. Sayson)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Homer D. Sayson.
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