How Chauncey Billups went from journeyman to the Basketball Hall of Fame

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Chauncey Billups’ stint with the Celtics lasted just 51 games before general manager and coach Rick Pitino decided he needed a more polished point guard and traded the rookie to Toronto for Kenny Anderson.

Twenty-seven years later, Billups approached the stage at the Mohegan Sun Casino as a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, capping an improbable journey that included three trades in his first three seasons before ultimately emerging as a franchise cornerstone at the Pistons.

The decision to trade Billups is still curious at best. He started 44 of his 51 games as a rookie in 1997-98, averaging 11.1 points, and even made an appearance in the Rookie-Sophomore Game. A few weeks later he was in Toronto and the Celtics never became a contender under Pitino, who resigned in 2001.

The difficulty of his early career was never lost on Billups, who led the Pistons to the 2004 NBA Championship by passing Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and the Lakers. Unselfish and tough, he turned into a model point guard, team leader and defensive presence.

What if Pitino had given Billups more time to develop? But in the late 1990s, the Celtics were not yet in the developmental stages and were still trying to return to prominence after a difficult decade following the retirements of Larry Bird and Kevin McHale and the departure of Robert Parish.

Billups said he has no regrets. He wasn’t traded because he wasn’t playing well. But the league was still divided into positions 25 years ago. Billups was a combo guard, bigger and more offensively skilled than a true point guard. In today’s match, he would be coveted for his versatility. Twenty years ago it was passed around until it was finally appreciated in Detroit.

“There were a lot of trials and tribulations for me early in my career,” he said Saturday. “Some of those things (about failure) were true, but my story was far from over. But I never believed (the negativity). I never believed in what people said about me. As far as what I worked, the passion I had for the game. I lived a clean, good life. I dedicated everything I had to the game. It just didn’t translate fast enough.”

Billups is entering his third year as coach of the Trail Blazers, and he had conversations with Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens before choosing to hire Ime Udoka three years ago. The Trail Blazers are in the early stages of a total rebuild after trading longtime cornerstone Damian Lillard for Jrue Holiday and then flipping Holiday to the Celtics for Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon and draft picks.

The Blazers have young talent, but are still a long way from competing in the Western Conference. They are expected to take a step forward and Billups said he is probably better equipped than most coaches to handle such an arduous process and players who are still trying to prove themselves.

“One of the gifts and one of the reasons why I went through what I went through is what got me into coaching,” he said. “I have a lot of different players who are at a lot of different places in their careers and I can say that at some point I have been all those guys, from the rookie who is struggling to the guy who takes the next step. move to the sixth man to the best player. I’ve been to them all. I can meet them halfway on their journey and I know how to challenge them.

“I am honest with them and I also show them grace.”

Billups was not inducted on the first ballot, the second ballot, or even the third ballot. He has been retired for 10 years. His playing was not beautiful or picturesque. He didn’t roll up the points or assists. He just did what was necessary to win and lead to a championship.

After 27 years, he has finally received the ultimate appreciation, the ultimate honor. He doesn’t need to apologize for being here or for being ignored by so many teams, including the Celtics. This is not considered a Hall of Fame class. Many of those inducted this year – Vince Carter, Michael Cooper, Seimone Augustus – are here because of their longevity or work ethic or because they brought something unique to the game that slowly came to be appreciated and admired.

Billups personifies that mentality. He worked feverishly and deserves his place.

“I say this all the time, from the moment I was called up until today, from the moment I was on this stage and here this weekend, it has been a difficult road for me,” he said. “There wasn’t much traffic on that road, to be honest. Not many people, third pick in the draft, five teams in the first (six) years. I didn’t play badly, but not well enough either. But it is what it is. My journey is what it is and I learned so much about myself in that process, which allowed me to relate to everyone and meet everyone halfway. I don’t want my situation to reach this stage (was easier) because it made me who I am, you know?

Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.