Chauncey Billups

Five-time NBA All-Star Chauncey Billups devoted his life to basketball. He was born in Denver, and attended George Washington High School. Initially focused on football, he decided to join the school basketball team to stay active during the offseason. He quickly discovered his true passion and began racking up local and state accolades on the court, eventually quitting the football team to focus entirely on basketball. He enrolled in the University of Colorado, where he continued to excel, playing for the Colorado Buffaloes. After being drafted by the Boston Celtics, Billups led a distinguished NBA career spanning 17 years and playing for seven teams. At first, he struggled to find his place in pro basketball. Billups was traded each year from his entrance in 1997 until 2000, when a signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves introduced him to point guard Terrell Brandon. Mentoring Billups as his backup, Brandon helped the athlete hone his skills and teamwork. Billups had a successful second season with the Timberwolves, but the team chose not to re-sign him, so he joined the Detroit Pistons in 2002. He spent six years with the Pistons, twice helping them to the NBA Finals - first in 2004, in which he was named MVP, and again in 2005. He followed this with several successful years with the Denver Nuggets, then spent a year with the New York Knicks and two with the Los Angeles Clippers. He returned to the Pistons for one season before retiring from the NBA in 2014, out of concern for his health following an increasing frequency of injuries and knee trouble that kept him out of games. He transitioned to a new career as an NBA analyst for ESPN beginning with the 2014-2015 basketball season. He has three daughters with his wife, Piper.