Sports Poets Society

Eight teams. Five trades. Injuries. Doubt. It wasn’t always easy for Chauncey Billups. But that hasn’t stopped him from putting together one of the NBA’s best careers. BY  JONATHAN ABRAMS  ON DECEMBER 12, 2012 Larry Brown walked down the aisle of the bus transporting his Pistons, looking even more solemn than usual. Hours earlier, Detroit led Game 2 of the 2004 NBA Finals by three points with 10.9 seconds remaining. Brown instructed his team to foul, but the veterans in the huddle — Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace, Richard Hamilton, and Chauncey Billups — resisted his order. Brown relented, but only on the condition that should Shaquille O’Neal catch the ball, they foul him immediately. O’Neal did receive the ball on the ensuing possession, but he quickly passed to Luke Walton, who found Kobe Bryant for an acrobatic 3-pointer that sent Staples Center into a frenzy. The Lakers prevailed easily in overtime, evening the series and leaving the Pistons reeling. “We’re crushed,” Brow...

The leader of the championship Pistons who might someday be the only Hall-of-Famer to be known as an NBA vagabond gets the profile treatment from ESPN's Grantland. By  Sean Corp  - Dec 12, 2012 Editor's Note: This story was originally published in December 2012, but with the announcement that Chauncey Billups is retiring , I thought it deserved some new life. The Grantland story is an absolute must read for any Chauncey Billups or Detroit Pistons fan. The original story follows. Chauncey Billups will always be my favorite Detroit Piston from the 2000-2008 era. His calm, collected demeanor. His love of the dagger 3-pointer, his feel for the game and setting the rhythm on any particular night -- when to shoot, when to drive, when to get others involved -- was awe inspiring. And I couldn't have been more pleased when I saw that ESPN's Grantland devoted more than 5,000 words to the Piston great. The story covers the ups and downs of his 15-year-and-counting career. The col...

https://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=090511/billups&redirected=true DENVER -- One of Chauncey Billups' ex-teammates -- and there are about a hundred of them -- has his nose pressed against a TV set. The Denver Nuggets have just called time, in the middle of a tight playoff game, and the ex-teammate can't help but notice Chauncey rounding up all the players, all the misfits and flakes, and poking a finger in their chests. If only these Nuggets understood the history behind this -- because there are pieces of Chauncey Billups strewn all over the league. He might have just rescued George Karl's job and Carmelo Anthony's résumé , but don't be fooled: Billups was once a mystery himself . His eyes are wiser now and his scars are healed , but no élite player in these NBA playoffs has been kicked to the curb as often as he has. None spent their first five seasons on six different teams . None has suited up for 10 different coaches . None has been forced to spen...