Report: Former Pistons great Chauncey Billups selected to Hall of Fame

Detroit — The moment was delayed, but Mr. Big Shot's case for basketball immortality won't be denied any longer.

Pistons legend Chauncey Billups will be enshrined into the 2024 class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, according to a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania. An official announcement for the 2024 class is expected Saturday at the NCAA Final Four in Glendale, Ariz., with Vince Carter also elected, per the report.

Billups, the 2004 Finals MVP, helped lead the Pistons to the third championship in franchise history after an upset over the Los Angeles Lakers. After several years of being passed over for the highest honor in basketball, Billups will become the second member of the "Goin' to Work" era to be selected for the Hall of Fame, joining 2021 inductee Ben Wallace.

Billups, a five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA honoree, spent 17 seasons in the NBA, from 1997 to 2014. He averaged 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.0 steal in 1,043 career games. He also earned two NBA All-Defense second-team nods in 2005 and 2006. His 89.4 career free-throw percentage ranks the sixth-best in NBA/ABA history.

The Denver, Colo. native was selected by the Boston Celtics with the third-overall pick of the 1997 NBA Draft. He was traded to the Toronto Raptors 51 games into his rookie season. He also played for the Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and L.A. Clippers during his 17-year career.

Billups signed a five-year $35 million contract to join the Pistons in 2002, and he earned the moniker "Mr. Big Shot" for his ability to make clutch shots during his eight seasons in Detroit. Billups' No. 1 jersey was retired by the Pistons on Feb. 10, 2016. Billups averaged 21.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the five-game series of the 2004 NBA Finals on shooting splits of 50% from the field, 47% from 3 and 92% from the free-throw line.

The 47-year-old former Pistons guard recently reunited with Wallace, Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince and the rest of the 2004 championship roster at Little Caesars Arena to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the team's last championship.

Billups, who's currently in his third season as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, worked as a studio analyst for ESPN after retiring from the NBA in 2014. He was hired as an assistant coach for the Clippers during the 2020-21 season. He earned his first head-coaching opportunity with the Trail Blazers in 2021.

Carter will join Billups as part of the 2024 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class. The eight-time All-Star made two All-NBA teams, is No. 21 on the all-time scoring list, played a league-record 22 seasons and also won a gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Billups and Carter were among 14 finalists for the 2024 Hall of Fame class, which was announced in February. The other North American Committee finalists include Michael Cooper, Walter Davis, Bo Ryan and Charles Smith. Seimone Augustus and Marian Washington are the Women's Committee finalists. Dick Barnett and Harley Redin are the Veteran Committee finalists. Michele Timms is the International Committee finalist. Doug Collins, Herb Simon and Jerry West are the Contributors Committee finalists.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday that West will be elected into the Hall of Fame.

The 2024 class will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., on August 16-17.

mcurtis@detroitnews.com

@MikeACurtis2