The 2004 NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups announced his retirement on Tuesday evening, ending a 17-year NBA career.
Billups made the announcement in an interview with Yahoo’s Marc J. Spears.
“It’s just time. I know when it’s time,” Billups told Yahoo Sports. “My mind and my desire is still strong. I just can’t ignore the fact that I haven’t been healthy for three years. I can try again and get to a point where I think I can go, but I just can’t sustain. Me not being able to play the way that I can play, that’s when you kind of know it’s that time.”
Billups was one of the leaders on a gritty Pistons team that won the 2004 championship against the heavily favored Lakers, and he was also a five-time NBA All-Star. His nickname, “Mr. Big Shot” , is one of the better nicknames in the NBA and comes from he making, well shots like this.
Billups was definitely one of the classiest players in the league and is sure to have some type of broadcast career in his near future, and only time will tell if his accolades and awards will be enough to make the Hall of Fame.
We’ll see him again.