NBA Commissioner David Stern (L) awards Chauncey Billups of the Los Angeles Clippers the first Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Chauncey Billups is trying to get into coaching.
Simply playing point guard in the NBA for any extended period of time is a great way to get yourself an NBA head coaching job. Steve Nash was awarded the Brooklyn Nets job despite no coaching experience, while Tyronn Lue is getting a second chance with the Philadelphia 76ers. Former Detroit Pistons star Chauncey Billups might be next in line, as he is trying to wiggle his way back onto the sidelines.
Inspired by Nash and Lue getting new jobs ahead of 2020, Billups is throwing his hat into the ring, as Yahoo’s Chris Haynes is reporting that the former All-Star is hellbent on earning himself a head coaching spot in the NBA.
Chauncey Billups was one of the best point guards in the league during his prime
Billups was in the league for 17 seasons, making five All-Star teams and serving as one of the key offensive threats on a Pistons team that took home the 2003-04 NBA title. After his playing career came to a close, Billups bolted for TV, where he has become one of ESPN’s best analysts and broadcasters.
Billups has been eyeing a return to the NBA for some time, as the Cleveland Cavaliers interviewed him for their GM vacancy in 2017. While he is another guard like Nash that would be given a head coaching position without much in the way of coaching experience, that same hiring practice brought us the likes of Doc Rivers and Steve Kerr, so hiring Billups wouldn’t be outlandish.
Hiring Billups might provoke some serious questioning when it first goes down, but his sharp tactical mind and ability to command a veteran group might be able to allow him to hit the ground running in his coaching career.