The most well-known basketball figure in Colorado is going to the Hall.
Even though the official announcement of the 2024 Naismith Hall of Fame induction class will not be made until Saturday, national basketball writer Shams Charania of The Athletic said on Wednesday that Chauncey Billups, a legend of CU Buffaloes, will be included in that class.
The Athletic also mentioned that Vince Carter will be part of the class, which will be announced this weekend as part of the men’s Final Four festivities.
Billups, who graduated from Denver’s George Washington High, chose to join the Buffaloes instead of other national options. He had a great two-year college career before becoming the third overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft.
Even though he only played 55 collegiate games, which is the smallest total among any of the 40 1,000-point scorers in program history, Billups is still 39th on CU’s all-time scoring list. He was the leader in a memorable NCAA Tournament showing in 1997, scoring 24 points in a first-round win against Indiana.
Billups had a tough start to his NBA career, including two seasons with the Denver Nuggets, before finding success with the Detroit Pistons. He won the NBA Finals MVP while leading Detroit to the 2004 title. Billups came back to the Nuggets in 2008 and ended his career with five All-Star nominations. He is currently in his third season as the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.
