Chauncey Billups says that he knew Kyrie Irving was unhappy when Billups interviewed for the Cavaliers‘ GM position last month, passes along Brian Windhorst of ESPN. On Tuesday, Billups gave an interview on the Vic Lombardi Show on Altitude Sports 950 AM in Denver, in which he provided his opinion on Irving’s trade request and explained why he turned down an offer to be Cleveland’s general manager.
Billups, on Irving:
“[Irving’s trade request] didn’t surprise me. I knew as [the Cavs] were doing their due diligence on me I was doing the same thing on them. I knew so much about the situation that the rest of the world doesn’t know. But it’s unfortunate, man, because [Irving is] a special talent. So much of what he’s been able to accomplish on and off the floor has been as the beneficiary of having LeBron James. You’re getting everything you want. You get all the shots you want, you’re playing for a great coach who’s letting you go to work, when the game is on the line they’re coming to you, you’re playing on TV every week. To me, I don’t get it. Everybody has their own desires. Maybe he wants to be Russell Westbrook and go try to win the MVP and get all the shots. That’s the only sense I can make of it, and to me that doesn’t make sense.”
Billups, on turning down the Cavaliers GM offer:
“The whole [possibility of] LeBron leaving the next year, to be honest that didn’t bother me that much. Here’s why: When you have an opportunity to really put something together and put your imprint on it — rebuilding is a beautiful thing if [they’re] going to have the patience with you. What bothered me more than if LeBron left or not was that I didn’t think they had great assets if you have to do a rebuild. It was more that than Bron. Bron and I have always had an amazing relationship.
Billups, on where things stand for him now:
“It was a great process. That team is a great team, a lot of expectations, lot of pressure involved with that team. But I didn’t mind that. That’s kind of been my entire career, the stress and pressure. At the end, in my spirit, it just didn’t quite feel like it was the right time at the end. It was one of those gut things. So I took myself out of consideration. I felt good about it. Dan and I talked afterwards and I thanked him for giving me such a good opportunity. … We will remain friends. I don’t need the job. I love my life. I love this ESPN thing; it’s been fun. And I’ll just wait until it feels right.”
Good decision from Billups for turn down the job
very well documented and great decision
So he admits part of his thinking was that he didn’t think they had the pieces to do a rebuild if LeBron leaves. I’m just curious what Billups is expecting considering to our knowledge he wasn’t even considered for any of the other openings this summer.
Gotta start somewhere
Thats a tough rebuild to take on, especially for a first time gm, you don’t want that.. Sean Marks(nets gm) at least has swapped picks and cap space.. Billups would have horrible contracts that nobody wants and zero first round picks for another 3 years.. The consideration comes in large part to the fact many positions were filled by former gms or former assistant gms.. When Giffin was let go, it was too late and there were no suitable gms on the market. Especially ones for that low of a price tag… although there are rumors that billups thought he was lowballed by the owner, he still listened. Billups never thought of himself as a gm, his peers did and that was the word around the league..He gave it some thought but that Cleveland job was just too much especially when you have a player and an owner that doesn’t believe in the word patience.
Cmon he’s mr. Big shot
Candid yet respectful, without being pandering. He walks a fine line well. I wish Chauncey would restore order to the Bucks front office.
I agree with everything he says but it seems like his standards are kind of high. He has no FO experience at all and he was lucky to even be considered.
When you’re just entering a field, you gotta take a job like that, regardless of minor issues. If he’s unhappy in a year then leave in a year, at least then you are a better candidate for jobs around the league.
I read it more like him saying that he doesn’t want to join the field prematurely unless the situation is just right.
Yes that’s how I read it. That’s my point. He’s not going to ever find himself in a “right” situation without experience. Only a flawed team would even hire him over all the more qualified names out there.
The fact that he said he has an amazing relationship with Lebron and then goes on to say he “wasn’t worried about Lebron possibly leaving” does in fact confirm that Lebron may be leaning towards leaving. It’s not just talk now
Doesn’t confirm anything.
So him using the word “possibly” means “definitely” to you, huh? Smh.
Brian Wyndhurst aka LBJ’s personal media reporter even said that any reporter saying that they know what LBJ’s intentions are are completely talking out of their necks simply for attention.
That’s exactly “just talk”. Why would Chauncey Billups know any more than anyone else? James has never said they’re amazing friends, and historically James doesn’t make these decisions until he has to.
I think what resonates most with me is what he said about Kyrie, and he’s right. This situation feels like the kind of thing Kyrie will talk about regretting in like 8-10 years from now
This talk by Billups is okay, after all he is technically a reporter and he was ‘there’. But as the season fills in with Billups at the espn perch, if he’s going to claim to be a Cavs insider because he did some research for the exec GM job, well… Windhorst can get pretty combative… :)