According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Colorado great Chauncey Billups has been elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2024 class, making him the first Buff who played in the NBA to achieve the honor.
Fellow NBA great Vince Carter joins Billups in the class, although the official announcement will be made Saturday at the NCAA Tournament Final Four.
Now head coach of the Portland Trailblazers, Billups put together a stellar NBA resume. In his 17-year professional career, Billups played for seven teams, most notably winning the 2004 NBA Finals — and Finals MVP — with the Detroit Pistons. Billups also earned five all-star selections, two of which came during his time with the Denver Nuggets.
Born in Denver, Billups was a high school star at George Washington before committing to CU. He played two seasons with the Buffs, earning second-team All-American honors as a sophomore while leading Colorado to its first March Madness appearance in 28 years. Coincidentally, Carter’s North Carolina Tarheels beat the Buffs in the round of 32.
The late Burdette Halderson, who played at CU in the 1950s, is also in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team.
Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups have been elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame @HoopHall Class of 2024, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Official announcement on Saturday at the Final Four. pic.twitter.com/zIX6pQgsHx
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 3, 2024
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.