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Chauncey Billups (right) posed with then-Celtics head coach Rick Pitino and fellow 1997 first-round draft pick Ron Mercer (5) and forward Antoine Walker (8) during of his rookie season.
When Chauncey Billups When he first learned he had been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, he thought the person calling him was playing a prank.
After all, the call came on April 1st. The Trail Blazers coach also had his share of doubts given the difficult start to his career in Boston.
The news turned out to be real. Billups is one of 13 members selected for the class of 2024. He will be enshrined in Springfield in August.
“Once I knew it was official and real, it was amazing,” Billups said. “I guess it was a feeling of validation even though I felt good about my career. If I hadn’t entered the room, what I had done wouldn’t have been undone anyway. But it’s basketball heaven. That’s what it is there. This is where you want to end up.
The Celtics selected Billups No. 3 overall in the 1997 NBA Draft and traded him to Toronto at the trade deadline during his rookie season.
“It was tough being here at first,” Billups said. “I was so excited to get drafted here, you know, the rich tradition and history and all the great players that have played here. I was so excited to be here and at this time Rick (Pitino) I thought the way they played in college suited my game, running up and down playing defense, shooting 3-pointers.
“I just thought it was going to be perfect. Obviously, that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, it wasn’t Rick’s fault, it wasn’t my fault. I just wasn’t really ready to be that guy at the time. It just took a while, man.
The struggles helped make Billups a better player. He ended up playing 17 seasons in the NBA and was named MVP of the 2004 NBA Finals.
“I come from this oven generation, not the microwave generation that we live in,” Billups said. “Like, you need to let it go. You have to let it cook for a while. This has always been a good thing for me.
“I always thought I could do anything and everything in a timely manner if I had the time. Sometimes in this sport, in any sport, you don’t have time to mature. There are different pressures everywhere, so sometimes you don’t have the opportunity, but patience has been very important for me.
A bigger role for Banton
Dalano Banton’s The scoring average increased from 2.3 points with the Celtics to 16 after his trade to the Trail Blazers on February 8. He’s averaging 28.1 minutes per game for Portland now, compared to 7.1 when he was in Boston.
Boston’s depth made it difficult for Banton to get any time on the court, but the 24-year-old forward was able to carve out a role for himself in Portland. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he appreciated the work Banton did with the team.
“He did a great job,” Mazzulla said. “But the problem with the NBA is the situation and the opportunity to get in. He played his role and took advantage of the opportunities he had for us here, but he has a lot more opportunities there -low and he took advantage of it. So, just a tribute to his work ethic and I’m happy for him.
Tatum out, Brown in
Jayson Tatum (knee) missed Sunday’s competition. Jaylen Brown (hand) and Jaden Springer (knee) returned to action.
This is Brown’s second appearance this month. He scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds in Wednesday’s win over Oklahoma City.
Boston
