Former Celtic Chauncey Billups retires

The 5 time all-star and Finals MVP, Chauncey Billups has announced that "It's Just Time," and is retiring from the NBA. Billups was drafted by the Boston Celtics #3 overall in the 1997 NBA draft and would develop into the best Celtics point guard since Bob Cousy be traded halfway through his rookie season for Kenny Anderson and become "Mr. Big Shot" elsewhere. Truth be told Billups struggled for a number of teams (Raptors, Magic, his hometown Nuggets) before starting to reach his potential with Kevin Garnett in Minnesota. He would then move on to the Detroit Pistons where he became a perennial all-star.

All that said, it would have still been nice to see a young Celtics team with Billups, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker, and Tony Battie as the starting 5. Was definitely Pitino's worst move as Celtics president. You don't give up on a #3 pick halfway through his rookie year, especially when you are rebuilding. Pitino thought that Billups would never be able to become a point guard in the NBA. That he was more of an undersized 2 guard. It took a few years, but Billups ended up becoming one of the best point guards in the league.

"It's just time. I know when it's time," Billups told Yahoo Sports. "My mind and my desire is still strong. I just can't ignore the fact that I haven't been healthy for three years. I can try again and get to a point where I think I can go, but I just can't sustain. Me not being able to play the way that I can play, that's when you kind of know it's that time.

"It's just time. I'm happy, excited. The game was very, very good to me. I felt like I was equally as good to the game the way I played it and the way I respected it and the way I carried myself through the process."

Best of luck to Chauncey in this next stage of his life.