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Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history for 75th anniversary

By Josh Cornelissen

Kobe Bryant (Photo credit should read Vince Bucci/AFP via Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant (Photo credit should read Vince Bucci/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Ranking the 75 best players in NBA history: No. 63 – Chauncey Billups

Career: 1997 – 2014

Achievements: 2004 NBA Champion; All-NBA (3x); All-Star (5x); All-Defense (2x); Finals MVP; 17th in career 3-pointers

Chauncey Billups was a talented player who managed to find his way to the right team at the right time to elevate his career standing and, almost certainly, a spot on this list. He and the Detroit Pistons made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for six straight seasons from 2003 to 2008, and Billups was the offensive leader for that squad.

Those Detroit teams were known for not having a true “star” on the roster, but that wasn’t really true. Billups made three All-NBA teams in his career and five All-Star teams, and his place at the tip of the Pistons’ defensive spear earned him a pair of All-Defense nods as well.

Billups was not afraid to take the big shot, often a necessity on a team made up of lower-usage ensemble players. He quietly racked up a number of career 3-pointers, ranking Top 10 when he retired and currently 17th.