Chauncey Billups - The Story You Haven't Heard Before

I didn't play for stats like I didn't I  didn't go out and say I'm getting 20 and   10 I'm I'm I went out saying we're going to  beat these guys and so because of that I made   sure the team played well I made sure all  of my guys got shots I made sure and it it   just ran smooth but if you're like at home just  watching the stats you like oh he had 11 points   and seven he he probably played okay but if  you're watching the game you're saying that   dude right there got control of this whole game  well that's why I played so to be considered in   something like the Basketball Hall of Fame  having played that way it just feels so good all right so I'm facing the camera literally I only started playing basketball because when my dad played like  just roundtown and like little Rec leagues and stuff I would go with him but I needed something  to do when football season was not in because Idol time is always you know you can get in you  get yourself in some trouble so in between those Seasons um I had a lot of my teammates that play  football just started you know doing going the wrong places and doing the wrong things man two  three years down the road from then some of those guys were already in juvenile facilities already  kicked out of school already kicked off of the every team they've been on and these were some  of our best players on the team way better than I was and so that that was the only example that  I needed at a young age that I said okay I got to start making my own decisions here I can't just  go following people or I need to find the right person to follow so why can I be that guy and so  at a very young age I realized how important it   was to just have somebody that could like show  you the way and so that was that was very young   te that was you know 11 12 years old so I stopped  playing foot football when I was in eighth grade   and the reason why I stopped playing football is  because I had a I had talked to my mother and my   goal was to always just go to college I wanted  to go to college nobody in my family had been   to college before she was happy and proud that  I wanted to go to college but she also was like   you probably going to have to get a scholarship  cuz we can't send you to college so that told me   I need to pour everything I had into one of these  Sports it's crazy cuz I really liked football but   I was better in basketball and so I said all  right cool I'm going all in basketball so by   the time I got to high school I only played one  sport and um I was like the best eighth grader in   my city you met your wife in Mexico right I did  so funny I was a freshman she was a sophomore   and it was the start of the school year and uh  she was friendly with one of my cousins growing   up but I never had met her even though from the  same neighborhood we never met till High School   I was again I was 14 at the time she's only a  month older than me even though I look like 10   years older than her but uh she's a month older  than me but I had to start school late based on   my birthday when my birthday fa had to start  a year late we became pretty fast friends we   both really liked each other so as a freshman we  I asked her out we went to homecoming together   everything and we started like going together I'm  like a freshman but I'm like you know King of the   campus you know and uh we ended up breaking up  later in that year I mean I'm like this new found   found Fame I'm hanging out all the girls like me  I really liked her but I knew I wasn't going to do   right year or so goes by she's now a senior I'm  a junior and uh I was like if I really want to   try to get with her I better do it now because  once she goes to college I probably never have   another chance and so man I just I I I went for it  again and we've been together ever since we were 17 you know my Legend if you will ended up really  growing in high school uh to being like the best   player most accomplished I guess player to ever  come out of the state I mean I was Player of the   Year in the entire State and as a freshman and  then I was Mr basketball the next three years   and um so I narrowed my top five schools down um  it was it was Georgia Tech Michigan um Arizona Cal   and uh dang been so long I forgot Kansas Kansas I  thought I wanted to go to like a big name school   and so in my during my senior year uh I lost my  grandmother and my grandfather they both passed   away and uh fast forward I'm starting to take  these college visits and I would go away and I   would come back and I could just T I could just I  my mom was really happy for me but she was really   I tell she was really sad man you know that I  was going to be leaving and so I went on a few   visits I would come back I would talk to my  parents and I could tell like she was happy   but she was just like she had lost a lot you  know that year and uh out of the blue like I   knew what I was going to do a couple days before  but I didn't tell anybody boom I announced we're   going to Colorado everybody was so shocked  uh I didn't even tell the coaches at Colorado I just like I just felt it in my heart man and in  my spirit I said it's not time for me to leave if   I'm supposed to make it I will make it you know  um no matter where I go you know and so I just I   did it man and I I I don't regret it I loved it  I loved my two years there we were a really bad   team my first year and they hadn't been to the  NCA tournament since the 60s and uh my second   year Boone we went to the NCA tournament we  beat Indiana and Bobby Knight in the first   round we lost to uh North Carolina who was the  number one seat in the tournament in the second   round even though it was a good game we was up at  the half they end up beating us but man it was an   incredible incredible experience I loved it I  loved all of it and um when I announced I was   coming out of school uh a couple of the reasons  why one I was I was playing really well but my   girlfriend at the time who was now my wife she  got pregnant and my mother who had been working   on her job for 20 years got laid off it was all  in about a month's amount of time I found these   things out so I was like that's time I got to  go it's time for me to step up and earn so I   announced it that I was coming out and at the  time they said that I would probably be between   9 and 14 in the first round the ninth pick 14th  pick and I'm looking saying well what other the   point guards are before me man got to the draft  and ended up being a third pick in the draft um   to the Boston Celtics um which Rick patino was  the coach and GM at the time he had left the   University of Kentucky so we were basically coming  to the league at the same time you know um so I   was really excited about that man you know to  be a third pick in the draft coming from where   I'm from and where I'm from even though I talked  about these player years and Mr it's not a hot bed   for basketball it's not like a lot of people that  came from there so those are great things but it's   not like I was up against the best competition  ever you know at the time they didn't know if   I was more point guard or shooting guard because  at that time most point guards they didn't shoot   a lot it was like the game was so different it  was like all playmake playmake playmake make your   teammates better boom boom boom and then oh if  nothing else is working then maybe you shoot and   I was a scoring point guard um at the time and so  they was I shot threes a lot of Threes most point   guards didn't shoot a ton of Threes at that time  so they was like man wait is he like a more two   guard or let's see maybe maybe not you know um we  probably had three TV games at Colorado so a lot   of people didn't see me and they didn't really  know all they just just kind of heard or looked   at Clips or highlights so it was kind of like a  little bit of an unknown situation you know um as   people was just kind of trying to figure out who  who I was and uh what happened in my first season   and and and me struggling um was just the fact  that like I was just always the best player you   know wherever I was like at Colorado at George  Washington High School and there weren't there   wasn't enough competition Around Me growing up and  when I got to the NBA it was the first time that I   was playing against like almost everybody on the  court was better than I was and they were smarter   than I was at the time and they were stronger  and bigger and like they had more experience   so like like that was the first time for me and  uh it just took me a while to figure that out   um and I would always think to myself like there  was other guys that came and was in my position   that was maybe from New Yorker or from Chicago or  from LA or where they got to play against all of   this Talent their whole life now when they got to  that stage it was almost normal for him you know   it just took me a while to adjust to that you  know um and you know you got your people like   I got all my homeboys I got all my family and  they all thinking that the coach is hating on   you and I'm like the coach is not hating on me  man you know I'm just really not it's I'm just   not ready yet like just give me some time just  give me some time I'mma figured out so I was the   third pick in the draft and I got traded 50 games  into the season I had never even heard of that you   know you the third pick somewhere especially a  team that's rebuilding you you're thinking that   you're going to be at this team for 5 six years I  remember him coming to trade me uh we were on the   road was on a 13-day road trip out west we were  in Sacramento and I was starting I was playing   good and he came to me and was like you know um  you know we got a deal on the table you're not   going to play tonight cuz we can't risk getting  you hurt this and that this and that but you're   going to be a good player in this league but he  said I've always been a big fan Kenny Anderson's   and you know I have an opportunity to get him  on the team now and unfortunately you're going   to have to be traded to get him and there's a lot  of pressure on me and I need to make the playoffs   this year and I need a veteran point guard and so  I I'll never I'll never remember I'll never excuse   me forget that that talk that we had and I was I  appreciated that he was honest with me that you   know what I just I've always been a fan of this  kid I got a chance to get him I feel like he can   move us along faster and it was true he could I  mean Kenny Anderson was a hell of a player so I   appreciated his honesty and um I was also happy  for a new situation you know it was just a tough   situation in Boston he was a tough coach to play  for it wasn't great it wasn't great there was a   lot of times that first year where I was like  damn I should have stayed in school man you   know I I never failed in anything you know um in  my life at that point and you feel like you failed   at something if it didn't work out you know I'm  21 I'm not really understanding the business of   basketball I'm not understanding that stuff I'm  thinking this is the game that we all fell in   love with and I'm playing really good what's going  on and uh I had a lot to learn at that point so I   went to Toronto so the trade was a three it was  a three- team trade I went to Toronto Damon star   went from Toronto to Portland Kenny Anderson went  from Portland to the Celtics that was 50 games so   I played 32 games in Toronto and I man I played  well man we had a good young team well no we had   a young team we weren't good but we had a lot of  talent uh Marcus cambi was our young Center he   was a second-year player Tracy McGrady and I were  rookies uh we we we had some good young guys play   32 games lockout happens we have a lockout and it  lasts for a few months into the season you know   and as soon as that lockout was over literally  the day after it was over I get traded to Denver and I was you know I was so excited to be in  Toronto we had just drafted Vince Carter who   we came out of high school the same year so  we was friends um so I'm just looking like   man myself Vince Tracy cani I mean we got we're  on to something here and then boom traded me to   Denver at that time Denver I think they had the  worst record in the league the year before and   again you remember D I'm like this like like this  folk hero there and so because their record was   so poor they feel like they needed to make a like  move and put some people in the seats and let's   why not let's go get Chanty you know he's young  he still got his whole career let's let's go get   chanti Mike de anony was my coach he was uh that  was his first coaching gig and uh so yeah I was   home we we weren't a very good team but we was  we were okay we were okay and I I played okay   the following year I got hurt uh 13 games into  the season I dislocated my shoulder boom and I   was out uh for the year and then at the trade  down line I got traded again and that one was   a tough trade for me because I was out for the  year so I really realized how low I had Fallen   because I couldn't help either team I just my  numbers matched up and they needed to make the   trade so it's like let's just put that number in  there so I got traded to Orlando I went and showed   up I never even went to practice never travel  with the team I just did rehab for the rest of   the season and then I was a free agent um signed  in Minnesota and um that was cool because one of   my really really good friends Kevin Garnett was  the guy there so it was a chance for me to really   kind of rehab my career at that time you know  um I was back healthy from the shoulder and it   was like a it was a chance for me that like they  had a point guard there named Terrell Brandon who   always was a big fan of his game but I was more  a big fan he's just the best dude ever so it was   going to give me opportunity to learn from TB and  there was no pressure no stress on me I was going   to be coming off the bench behind him and man he  took an interest in me that I felt really changed   my career um we sat right by each other in the  locker room he taught me everything how to watch   film how to study my opponents how to read Pick  and rolls we about 10 games into the season and   we're playing I think it was Spurs or something  it's halftime we come in he's pissed off but man   he had like 16 and seven at the half he's I'm  thinking he's playing so well and so I'm like   TB what's going on he said this game ain't going  right and I said well why he said let me just let   me just tell you something as a point guard  when your best player so okay AGG at the time   was averaging probably 22 12 and 5 he said as a  point guard when your best player hasn't gotten   his touches and it is and he's not in a rhythm in  the first half that's your fault that's literally   your fault it's not his fault that's your fault  look at kg's look at his stats right now and kg   was never a guy that pouted and was like man  give me the ball he he that was just not him   so I said but TV we we we're winning the game  you're playing so well like I think K he said no   it's not his responsibility it's mine and I never  looked at the game like that and that really threw   me off cuz I know if that was me at that time I  would have been so happy that I had 16 and six   that I'm like man I'm killing and we're winning  everything is wonderful so he he checked changed   the way I started looking at leading a team and  being the point guard and man we just he just we   worked out together watched him do interviews  I watched how he interacted with the media I   literally watched everything from toil and uh it  changed my it changed my life it changed my career   changed everything the following year and I had  a really good season man I really my confidence   picked up I was doing well the following year two  three games into the season he got hurt so boom   there I go again it's my chance now you know and  now I'm ready you know and so I had a great rest   of the season you know a really good rest of the  season and I had an option on my deal and I didn't   want to leave I really didn't want to leave  I was loving what I was doing but I knew that   and and Kevin mcel who was the GM he was honest  with me he said chance we're going to offer you   the same deal that Detroit's going to offer you  but if if Terrell comes back healthy he's he's   our starting point guard you know and um I said  man I I really do appreciate you you being honest   with me on that Big Mac um but I think it's I  think it's finally my time you know I'm ready   now like it's time for me to go lead something  so boom took off I went to Detroit I signed a a   six-year midlevel deal at the time the midlevel  was like 6 million um and ironically two years   before that I signed a mid-level deal when I went  to Minnesota coming off my injury for 2.2 million   was the midlevel and that was awesome for me but  so I signed in Detroit 6 years I was arguing with   my agent at the time cuz he said no you should  do a 3 or four year deal well I had two kids at   the time I had been in all these different cities  all these different teams and even though I felt   great about where I was at I had no confidence  in this situation really working out based on   what's going on with me I said there's no way  I'm going to take a chance on that I got two   daughters now I got to I got to stretch this deal  out as long as I can in to protect my family and   so that right there um you know them kind of  going through these things with me it really   helped me you know and it kept me focused and it  kept me coming home saying like I got to I got   to do right by this these I got to do right by  my family I got to get this thing right for me   as a player not much really changes your team  does the coach does but man I'm going to be in   Town half of the Season I'm going be out of town  half of the Season I'm playing basketball well for   the families it's tough because they're really  living there you know what I mean every single   day they're there I didn't realize that as when I  really got young and then once I got older in the   league is when I was like wow this is really this  is devastating you know for the families for me   I'm just hoping this is devastating for these  families for my daughters they leaving their   friends man the schools that they love these  teachers that they fell in love with the soccer   program that this one the dance they're just in  48 hours they got to be gone that's the tough   thing man that's the tough thing that that that  really always set on me if I had bet basically   on myself in that situation I would have been a  free agent after so we want to Championship my   second year I was MVP of the finals the next year  we l in game seven I would have been a free agent   after that year so I probably would have got a  Max contract I would have been 27 28 years old   and uh so even to this day my agent is always  like you should have listened to me you should   have listened to me and I'm saying no no I'm  still not gambling with my family bro you know   what I mean like everything worked out it worked  out I don't believe in coincidences it worked the   how was supposed to but yeah that would have  been cool but I'm in this amazing the way that   I I'm I'm a I'm a big perspective guy I'm in this  amazing situation I've developed these incredible   relationships with all my teammates get stability  I get years something I haven't been able to get   win a championship man we we contending every  single year we go to Eastern Conference Finals   six straight years we got all of this things going  well I might have have to take that Max contract   and go to the worst team in the league who knows  if it would have been worth it to me probably about four or five years before I was done maybe  five six years actually before I was done I   started thinking about what am I going to do when  my career's over one other important person in my   career when I was in Minnesota so it was Terrell  Brandon and then the old head on the team was Sam   Mitchell and Sam told me once if you're lucky you  know you're going to play this game till you're   probably 35 36 and in this game you're going  to be a old man so the day you retire you're   going to go from being an old man in your game  to actually being a young man in the world you're   going to have to find something that you like  doing because just going and golfing and going   and like you're going to get tired of that you're  just going to be sitting around every day you're   going to feel like you're really underachieving  so you going have to find something you like I   started thinking what's the thing I love the most  I said outside of you know my family and all of   that stuff basketball is really my first real real  love okay so what what could you do in that and so   I started thinking I said all right I could be  a GM I can work in TV and just kind of share my   experience in the sport or I could be a coach I  started really kind of interning if you will in   all three areas so every offseason from that point  forward I would go work you know do some TNT stuff   I would go meet with a lot of coaches see if you  know what do y'all really be doing back here in   these offices you know how much time are y'all  really putting in so I I really dug in to all   three Avenues to see if if I could do any of them  and so when I retired I had a couple opportunities   um I had an opportunity in Cleveland to be uh the  president of the team I knew Braun was going to   be leaving I knew Kyrie wanted to leave soon and  I feel like man what is this thing going to look   like without those guys you know I don't want  to be left with that so I passed on that but it   was a great opportunity and then really when I  retired my girls were Middle School uh about to   start high school and I had missed so much time  with them over the years just chasing greatness   man you know I said the best thing for me right  now for the next 5 6 years is to do TV where I   can still be involved in it but man I can be at  home and I can I can make the soccer games and   I can make the dance recital and I'm not missing  nothing you know and so that's what I chose and   then as the time started going I started saying  man this is just not enough of me you know I   live my life on wins and losses I live my life  like I'm not leading nobody like I don't this   ain't enough of me so I need to I need to figure  this out I need to figure do I want to get into   coaching or do I want to get into the front  office I guess the biggest reason why I chose   coaching over front office because I had both  opportunities um is cuz I realized that the GM or president they have to kind of be take a step back  from the players and the coach is the one that can   do all the everyday leading every day every day  every day every day and I've always felt like my   best gift was being able to touch every day and  Lead every day with somebody and it's been three   difficult years for me you know but man it feels  like a calling for me you know um I love it you   know even what I've gone through do th far I still  love it which is why I know I pick the right thing   you know me being a third pick in the draft and  struggling in today's game who knows if I would   have got the chance to make it to Minnesota you  know after going to Toronto going to Denver and   not lighting the world on fire with the way  the social media is today you know everybody   would have just rot me off I could I could have  been plan and overseas for the rest of my career   um we're in an interesting situation right now  as a coach and this is why I say so many of my   experiences I really feel like helped me connect  with my guys and help me to help our guys we have   number three pick in the draft in scoot Henderson  scoot has struggled and I've always said to him   and feel like I need to be the person for you that  I need it and that doesn't just mean I always just   give you everything you know um what I can't do  is control what the people say the media social   media this that friends family I can't control  any those things but I am the one person that   can probably help you the most and I'm telling  him all the time you just got to trust me here   you got to trust me I got you but you got to trust  me and I know it's probably not easy for his team   and for his family and for his but there's nobody  in the world that's been a number three pick that   struggled early that can help him more than me and  so I take pride in that I take pride in that and I   try to tell them turn all that outside noise down  not going to turn it off but turn it down because   there's some people out there that just going try  to destroy you I got you lock in you're gonna be   just fine and so I really feel like a lot of my  young career allows me to meet all of my guys   where they're at one of the biggest differences  is as a player like I'm in control of when I get   out there what I do in my minutes you know um  the one the toughest thing as a coach is I'm   not always in control you know I can like speak  about what I think we need to do or what should   happen but when they get out there I don't really  have control anymore you know um and I took pride   in controlling that you know I was always as a  player took pride in like controlling the game   controlling the tempo of the game the pace of  the game the play calling the end of the game   game situations like I took pride in that you know  it's funny I I say this uh it sounds kind of crazy   but this is one of the things that I learned as a  coach I learned as a coach how easy I made it for   my coaches if that makes sense so I was a player  that along with controlling the game and listening   to my coaches spending time with them and like  understanding what they wanted out of our team   I took that very personal so I could control the  game and I can also control the locker room with   my leadership so now as a coach I look and I  say man I made my coach's life pretty easy you   know it's crazy I I it's it I don't know how to  sounds but it's it's it's just true that's been   a humbling thing for me as a coach is that  I can't control that like I wish I could cuz   I can't get out there I feel like my coaching  career will end up a lot like my playing career   started a little tough I had a lot to learn  I'm in it now learning learning learning and   I've always just felt like I will win sometimes  not immediately but definitely and that's how I feel good great we good oh man cool yall easy man thank you very much I love what y doing man I love

Channel: Matisse Thybulle

Views: 291,284

Keywords: Chauncey Billups, NBA, NBA Head Coach, Portland Trail Blazers, Detroit Pistons, NBA Hall of Fame, Denver Basketball

Id: o77bLapbsS4

Length: 33min 25sec (2005 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 05 2024