5 NBA veterans who should hang up their boots at the end of the season

Chauncey Billups

Chauncey Billups – Could this be his swansong year?

The University of Colorado standout began his career with the Boston Celtics in 1997 and would go on to represent several clubs in the NBA including the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Detroit Pistons, where he won a championship in 2004. Selected third overall in the 1997 Draft by the Boston Celtics, Billups has a knack for making late-game shots thus earning him the nickname “Mr. Big Shot.” The most memorable moment in his career was when he led a Detroit team to the 2004 NBA championship, winning the Finals 4-1 against a strong Lakers team that featured Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. He was adjudged MVP of the Finals, a series in which he averaged 21.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 5.2 apg and 1.2 spg.

He then joined forces with Carmelo Anthony in 2008, and in his first season led the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. He was then traded to the Knicks in the deal that sent Anthony to the Big Apple and was amnestied by them in the subsequent offseason. He went on to play for the Clippers and was averaging a solid 15 ppg for the Clips but suffered an Achilles tendon tear, thus putting an end to his season.

The jump shot is still there in his game but the lateral quickness or lack thereof makes him a burden on the defensive end. The latter stages of his career have been marred by injuries, thus preventing him from getting into a rhythm of any sort.

He is currently back in Detroit for a second stint, and has publicly stated his desire to retire as a Piston.