Dec 3, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chauncey Billups (1) dribbles while defended by Utah Jazz point guard Randy Foye (8) during the first half at EnergySolutions Arena. The Clippers won 105-104. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
4) 32-Point Outing in Return to Denver
Chauncey Billups being traded from the Detroit Pistons to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson was bittersweet: it signaled the end of an era as what we knew as Pistons slowly began to disappear. Opposite of that, Billups found himself in the perfect situation . . . or what we know now as the ‘LeBron James‘: by being traded to Denver, Billups would be presented with the opportunity to play for his hometown team (for the second time actually).
But circumstances made Billups into an unwilling victim as Carmelo Anthony‘s trade demands to New York forced Billups to become a tag-along. According to several reports, Billups didn’t want to be traded; instead, Billups wanted to retire in from of his home crowd followed by a transition into the front office.
Fast forward a year later, and Billups was able to serve the Nuggets a nice helping of revenge by dropping 32 points on 11-of-20 shooting (6-of-12 from 3) in his first game back in Denver since the Anthony trade.
Alongside Chris Paul and Blake Griffin who both had big games, it was Billups’ late surge that allowed the Clippers to to squeeze out a four-point victory, surely becoming one of the more memorable games of his career.