The Detroit Pistons were looking for a point guard and Chauncey Billups was looking for a place to stay awhile.
When Billups signed with the Pistons as a free agent in July 2002, both goals were satisfied.
Billups was a two-time All-NBA performer and a three-time All-Star for Detroit, also earning All-Defensive honors twice and finishing fifth in the MVP voting in 2005-06.
He finished fourth in the league in assists and fifth in three-pointers in 2005-06 and in 2007-08 was second in the NBA in free-throw shooting.
Billups was also part of the Pistons’ title team in 2004, averaging 21.0 points, 5.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 38.4 minutes per game en route to winning Finals MVP honors, shooting .509/8-for-17/.929 in a five-game triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers.
The following year, Detroit was back in the Finals, losing in seven games to the San Antonio Spurs. Billups put up 20.4 points, 6.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 40.1 minutes per game on .434/.297/.909 shooting.
In November 2008, Billups was packaged with Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb and traded to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Allen Iverson.
He returned to the Pistons in July 2013 as a free agent, but was limited to 19 games because of an injured left knee. After the club declined his option for 2014-15, Billups went unsigned over the summer and retired in September 2014.
In parts of eight seasons in Detroit, Billups averaged 16.5 points, 6.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 33.8 minutes per game, while shooting .422/.397/.892.
An All-American as a sophomore at Colorado, Billups averaged 19.1 points per game and opted to turn pro.
He was selected third overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1997 NBA Draft, but was traded to the Toronto Raptors in February 1998 during his rookie season.
After the lockout ended in January 1999, he was on the move again, this time traded to the Nuggets in a three-team deal that included the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Billups was traded to the Orlando Magic in February 2000, but never played for them as he was already out for the season with a shoulder injury.
In August 2000, he signed with Minnesota as a free agent.
His second tour with the Nuggets included All-NBA honors in 2008-09, two more All-Star appearances and fourth-place finishes in the league in free-throw shooting in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
Billups was traded to the New York Knicks in February 2011 in a three-team deal that also involved the Timberwolves.
Waived by New York in December 2011 after another lockout concluded, he was signed by the Los Angeles Clippers two days later.
Billups is 10th in NBA history with 1,830 three-pointers, 41st with 5,636 assists and sixth with an .894 mark at the free throw line.
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