On October 24, 2021, Beijing time, in a strong dialogue in the West during this season's NBA regular season, the Portland Blazers finally defeated the Phoenix Suns 134-105, ushering in the first victory of the new season.
It was just a normal regular season game, but it was significant for the new Blazers coach, Chansi Billups, because it was the first victory of his coaching career.
Just on June 28, 2021, the Portland Trail Blazers officially announced that Chansi Billups, nicknamed "Mr. Key" and "Big Heart", has officially become the team's new head coach, which is also the first time that Billups has become the head coach of an NBA team after becoming the Clippers' assistant coach for the first time in 2020.
Today we're going to look back at the highlights of Billups' player days.
I believe that for fans with a certain age, the name Billups is still relatively familiar, he was the absolute brain and heart of the Pistons Five Tigers that year, and the names of the starting Five Tigers are believed to be thunderous: Changsi Billups (point guard), Richard Hamilton (scoring guard), Tyshone Prince (small forward), Rashid Wallace (big forward), Ben Wallace (center).
However, the "Piston Five" were not superstars at the time, but in the 2003-2004 season, they snatched a precious championship trophy from the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers with Kobe, O'Neal, Malone and Payton, which was also the first championship in Auto City after the "Bad Boy Team" and the third championship in the history of the team, but after the defeat of the defending finals in the following year, the Pistons gradually faded from the ranks of the strongest teams and has now been hovering in the middle and lower reaches of the East.
"He's always been a winner and getting Changxi is like in a blackjack game where you have a queen in your hand and then another 9." – George Karl
Changxi is the iron-blooded and cold-faced judge of life and death, and his simple and calm temperament is highly compatible with the style of detroit, a blue-collar city, and the Pistons he led in those years can always stand in front of the star-studded super team and snipe opponents. Since winning the MVP in the finals in 2004, Changxi has completely left the grassroots and scored countless key goals to win the nickname – Mr. Key.
In the 1997 draft, the "Green Shirts" Celtics, who had two high picks and a 27.5% chance of winning the lottery, ended up with only one No. 3 pick and a No. 6 pick, and the team eventually chose to sign Billups, whose career began with the "Green Army" Celtics!
However, Billups was clearly not compatible with the Celtics who made the active fastball, and he was quickly sent away to the Raptors, and then tossed the Nuggets and Timberwolves, at best playing a rotational player.
It wasn't until the 2002-2003 season that he joined the Detroit Pistons and gained the trust of the team management at the time, and even told Changxi that the team would be led by him, and this season Billups led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals, followed by the Pistons defeating the Five-Star Lakers to win the championship; in the 2004-2005 season they reached the Finals again, and finally lost to the Spurs in the seventh big game.
However, due to the next few consecutive years of stopping in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons management chose to trade, "Mr. Key" came to Denver, the data of these three seasons is still dazzling, but the NBA is still a business after all, Billups did not stop wandering, in the 2010-2011 season was traded to the Knicks, the next three seasons to the Clippers, and finally the third season with the Clippers, that is, after the end of the 2013-2014 season, Billups chose to retire, Ended his 17-year NBA basketball career.
Nowadays, Billups has ushered in his new identity and a new career, that is, the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, as a rookie head coach, we may not see his coaching level for the time being, but with his court vision and basketball IQ on the court that year, he has the potential to become a good coach, and then let time give us the answer.
The above is only a personal point of view, if you have different ideas, welcome to leave a message in the comment area, Xiaobian will discuss issues and views about basketball and football with you, and are willing to accept everyone's criticism and suggestions, I am @ Wan Yu to talk to you about sports, thank you.
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