2004 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player and former Detroit Pistons star, Chauncey Billups, has announced his retirement from the NBA.
After 17 long seasons, he has finally decided that it is the right time to retire.
Billups was chosen third overall in the 1997 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics. A five-time NBA All-Star and a three-time All-NBA selection, Billups played for the Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers and Team USA. He won the NBA Finals MVP in 2004 after helping the Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, and was given the nickname "Mr. Big Shot" for making late-game shots with Detroit.
Billups talked to Yahoo Sports saying "It's just time. I know when it's time. 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."
He continued "It's just time. I'm happy, excited. The game was very, very good to me. I felt like I was equally as good to the game the way I played it and the way I respected it and the way I carried myself through the process."
According to Billups the best memories he ever had was during his time with the Pistons saying "Before that, my career was in jeopardy in a few different stages. I persevered, sustained and continued to work hard, and finally got my opportunity in Detroit, and I never turned back from that point. That's what made it so sweet to me to win a championship after what I went through. I had to scrap and fight to get through it and to reach the pinnacle made it even sweeter."
He added "Winning the championship was the ultimate. I never set out to win the [Finals] MVP. Winning the championship was enough."
Billups remains strongly involved in Porter-Billups Leadership Academy in Denver. He also co-owns 30 Wendy's fast-food franchises with former NBA player Junior Bridgeman in the St. Louis area.
