WATCH: Former Knicks’ Chauncey Billups Inducted Into Hall of Fame

The names of Chancey Billups and Dick Barnett don’t carry the same weight in the realms of the New York Knicks, but they’ll stand on equal footing in Springfield.

Alongside Barnett, Billups was officially enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday as one of the headliners of the 2024 class. The Knicks hosted Billups for 21 games in 2011 when he came over from Denver as a side piece in the famous deal for Carmelo Anthony.

By the time Billups joined the Knicks, he had long shed his reputation as a supposed draft bust: while he struggled to find his footing as the third choice in 1997’s draft, he began to fulfill his potential when he moved to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000.

He later starred for the Detroit Pistons and partook in their run to the 2004 NBA Finals, where he won MVP honors for his work in the five-game series victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. In his speech, Billups praised his tenure with Pistons, lauding his tenure with the “Best Five Alive” co-starring Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace.

In 21 games for the Knicks, Billups averaged 17.5 points and helped the team secure a playoff berth that ended a six-year drought. A knee injury prevented him from appearing in the ensuing quarterfinal series against his original NBA employers, the Boston Celtics. Billups expressed interest in playing a full season in Manhattan but management later released him via amnesty clause. Following his departure, Billups spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers and one more with Detroit before retiring in 2014.

Billups is currently the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and is set to enter his fourth season at the helm. Portland is slated to host the Knicks on March 12 before they visit Madison Square Garden 18 days later.

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