Chris Paul’s Tribute To Chauncey Billups Predicts Hall Of Fame Induction

Chauncey Billups announced he was retiring last night to Yahoo Sports. After the news broke, Clipper point guard and one-time Billups teammate, Chris Paul offered up a tribute commemorating his “big brother” and predicting a Springfield future for Billups.

We think Billups will be right on the cusp of the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible in half a decade. Paul, for his part, looks forward to his induction ceremony. Here’s the tribute Paul wrote on Instagram last night:

“Welllll, let me start by saying that I usually don’t get too emotional when it comes to former opponents or even teammates, but this one is a lil different! I was blessed and fortunate to be born with an amazing big brother who everyone knows already. But early in my career when I began to have what they call “NBA family”, I was blessed with another big brother! In a league that’s filled with fierce competition and unfortunately at times jealousy, a veteran guard took me under his wing and told me and showed me what it means to be a professional and to ALWAYS help the next guy coming up behind you. One of the highlights of my career was the night that I found out I would get to play along side of Chaunce! I could go on and on talkin about this guy but I’ll end by saying THANK YOU BIG SHOT!!! And I would love to be there whenever the Hall of Fame Ceremony is! #MrBigShot #1 #ParkHill #Bbbbbbillups #MuchLove”

We agree with Paul’s prediction, and we love the tribute, though there will probably be countless commemorations of Billups like this one; he was a mentor to many.

Billups was the consummate point guard. In Jonathan Abrams sprawling look at Billups’ career for Grantland, his old coach, Larry Brown, spoke about asking Billups and then-teammate Richard Hamilton to sacrifice shots for the good of the team:

“Chauncey looked at me straight in the eye, made sacrifices for the team every single day. You look at the success that team had and that was a direct result of him buying in.”

Towards the end of Billups’ career, he always made sure to tutor those coming up behind him — like CP3 — and it was him teaching those who came after him that’s perhaps the greatest legacy he’s left the game.

What do you think?

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