Chauncey Billups

I got 'Smooth' when I was growing up. I got 'Bigshot' playing in Detroit. People who know me from Denver call me 'Smooth.' ”

Nobody loses gracefully and easily, but there is a way to go about it. ”

That's kind of been my entire career, the stress and pressure. ”

Quite frankly, Minnesota was where my career kind of turned around, and it all had to do with Flip Saunders and his coaching prowess and his system. ”

When I signed back with Detroit, I signed to retire a Piston. ”

I'm not the fastest player, but you can't really play up on me because my handles are good enough where I can get around you. But you can't play off of me, because I can shoot. And if smaller guys try to defend me, I'll back them down. I'm a good post player. ”

I'm obviously not a politician, nor do I have the desire to be one, but I'm a conscious citizen. ”

I liked being home playing in front of my people, but I just did not like the situation because I was playing shooting guard, and that is not my position. I would play it if someone like Rip got hurt, but to do it for an entire season, that is not my position. I got it done when I was asked to do. But inside, I know that is not me. ”

I got into a lot of fights, but it wasn't because of my name. Being from the neighborhood with a name like Chauncey, people think I got picked on. But a lot of strange names come out of the neighborhood. ”

The kind of leader and teammate that I was, at every stop I made, I was always honest with guys and honest with myself. I think that was the reason I grew to have the reputation I had in the league. ”