And what a class act Billups is. Watch his post game comments and then tell me you don’t appreciate and miss his leadership and his attitude. In red white and blue or light blue and yellow…he’s Ron Burgundy classy.
It was a great night to be at the Palace, the reception Chauncey got was great. I’m thinking back tothe not so friendly welcome we gave Ben Wallace on his return, and contrasting it with Billups. Wow.
I’m also glad that as the game wore on, less and less people were cheering on Chauncey because they were more interested in a Pistons win. That’s how it should be. I always cheer my guys in the intros, but once that clock starts ticking, it’s stricly Pistons.
Hes a perfect example of “you dont know what you got till its gone”…Billups will always be a piston…The 6’3333333333 chaunceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyy ba ba billups!
Great post, Nat. Barring the two games that he played with us this season this was probably my favorite game of the year. Billups scored a ton, got a warm welcome and the Pistons still pulled out the W.
El Patron Himself (Accept no Imitations!)
on March 4, 2009 at 12:26 am
Nat,
Thanks for the video… it was truly electric and the intro was well-deserved for a guy I hope gets that #1 retired and if he ever makes the HOF he does as a Piston.
Having said that, let’s play devil’s advocate for a moment (so please any WTFs, keep them in your pockets… disagree if you may but without hate. I can take criticism well) and let’s talk a minute about the other “#1,” Allen Iverson. I saw this poster in Nat’s video, “You’ll always be #1 in our hearts.” Very compelling and I agree with it as I said above. I can’t help thinking, however, what’s on AI’s mind when he’s still seen as some kind of impostor.
I mean, Allen’s no angel and some of his behaviors are far from classy, but sometimes people portray him like he’s the love child of Derrick Coleman, Stephon Marbury, and Kermit Washington (and quite frankly, if have to choose between being a bona fide cancer, holding a team hostage or almost killing a man on the court, I’ll take 23 1/2 “practice” in 4 minutes). Unfortunately, it seems the experiment in Detroit was a failure and he’s still resented for taking #1. Whether he was able to refuse or not, that’s something I don’t know…
All I can say in his defense is that I hope that a player of his caliber and stature, one who changed the game in many ways, the original “one-man fast break,” and one of the fiercest competitors ever doesn’t become a rich-man’s version of Raef LaFrentz and we don’t have to hear Bill Simmons on ESPN making jokes about “Allen Iverson’s Expiring Contract.”
Once again, I’m glad the Pistons won – the guys and fans needed that badly – and that Smooth got the welcoming he deserved (he was no Ben anyway!)… now let’s keep the W’s piling up and MAYBE, maybe we can become that team nobody wants to meet in the playoffs.
The Chauncey and Ben departures are completely different, Chauncey signed a long term deal thinking he would retire a Piston and then got trades, Ben was offered to be the highest payed Piston of all time, but he left for a division rival for 10 mil more.
Ba Ba Ba Billups!!! man I miss the dude, I wish the trade could be undone. my favorite player playing against my favorite team… I’m glad he had a good game tonight.
DEEEEEETROIT BASKETBALLL
on March 4, 2009 at 2:17 am
yea fuckerz we won it, another big win for us, ice for dyess is coming, and fuck chaunceys return. forget about him stop saying that D needs him back. we have iverson now, forget billups. why does everyone care so much about chauncey? move on already. if i was at the game id boo him, hes not a piston anymore. hes a rival. and we beat his ass tonite.
i cant wait till ai comes back to work with the zoo crew, we will be unstoppable, the best bench in the league by far, and iverson will be very comfortable on the court cuz hes used to being the go-to guy on the floor with a bunch of role players around him. i wanna see some 5 for 5 subs from curry or else nothing will change. stuckey hamilton prince wallace dyess is one lineup, iverson, afflalo or bynum, hermann, maxiell and johnson the other lineup. i dont think were gonna lose more than 5 more games for the rest of the season, if curry simply does what i said right there with the lineups
lmfao. Your comment is 50,000,000 counts of wrong. You are a complete fucking idiot. If you don’t miss Chauncey at all, then you show no respect for what he did here. Fuck you. Pretty sure we lost more than 5 games for the season. Btw, you can’t just always replace a lineup with a completely different lineup. Most players can’t come into the game and immediately contribute. They need some time to heat up, which is why they need to come into the game with other people that are already in the game. Your whole comment ended up being completely wrong, and shows how much of an idiot and hypocrite you are. HA! Fuck you, Fuck Iverson, and go to Hell. Thanks 😀
damn.. i don’t regret the trade because we needed a change.. but it still sucks to see chauncey in another color and another # at that… i know its basically impossible but i would love to see him come back here.. to bad we signed him to a contract so he could retire in detroit.. well good pistons win i guess, but i still come away from this feeling disappointed.. but hey at least we have beaten three top teams in a row… fuck AI put him in with the bench and let him shoot all day long..
Sad to see Chauncey in the Palace but on a different team, but at least he left Detroit with the great lasting memory of being the Pistons 2004 Final MVP… and to think they should have/could have had a couple more… Retire a Piston Chauncey!
Man! That is sooo awesome. I had class late, and I was very upset that I would miss Chauncey’s intro. Awesome moment! Mason was great. Chauncey looked so happy, like he was truly home. It’s almost like he never left. Miss him here in Detroit, but I’m glad he’s home in Denver. A true class act!
Thanks for the vid, Natalie.
With that said, good win! Biggest win streak we’ve had since the new year.. ouch!
Six spot on playoff ranking is the better for us, it means to play against Orlando in the first round and avoid Boston and Cleveland. I think we can manage Orlando as usual, then find the rhythm and fight the Cavs or Celts.
Great win. Loved to see Chauncey back.
But is it just me or all the other players (except AI and Dice) were tanking the season?
C’mon, aren’t they supposed to be professionals? They were stinking on the court and now that AI is missing they start playing like this? Why weren’t they playing like this before?
Don’t say that Stuck is uncomfortable playing with AI, when they’re together on the court, Stuck shoots more than AI a lot of times. Check the stats, a lot of times Stuck has more FG attempts.
I’m just gonna say this, if Detroit is playing like the Pistons of old, prepare for another disappointing loss in the playoffs. We just don’t have a go-to guy who can score in the clutch. Don’t forget that the last 3 years, when we needed something, the other team was trapping Billups and we just couldn’t score.
I accept criticism, just don’t curse and hate. Thanks!
As I said on twitter, a million thank you’s for posting this. So many of us don’t have FSN+ and couldn’t see this live.
What a great reception, and it was so very well-deserved. He was one of the best Pistons in history — and not just as a player. His work off the court in Detroit was just as special as what he did on the court.
@El Patron: I see where you are coming from, and to an extent, I agree with you. I do wonder if AI has been bothered by all this, from the media questioning whether or not the Pistons need him to the incredible reception for Chauncey tonight.
However, there is no doubt in my mind that AI has been part of the problem this season; that said, I don’t necessarily blame him or that.
To his credit, he’s been a professional for the most part (except for skipping practice). He’s made every effort to conform his style of play to Detroit’s. His shot attempts are down, for example. In fact, I’ve actually come to like AI — which is a really big deal for me.
I blame most of the failure not on AI, but on the coaching staff that has yet to find a way to integrate AI’s style of play into Piston basketball. Since day one, Piston fans, writers, and bloggers have been saying AI should go to the bench, not Rip, which would allow AI to be himself with the Zoo Crew.
If AI accepts the 20-25 minute role as the Zoo Crew leader (anyone remember The Microwave?), then the Pistons could be straight up lethal come playoff time.
Think about it, who wants to play the Pistons — who play like the Pistons of the past 6 seasons — with the addition of AI as the 6th man?
I know we all have our beef with AI in one way or another, but we can all agree that we want Detroit to succeed. And if AI accepts the sixth man role, and he plays well in that role, I think we are one helluva scary team in the playoffs.
This is key, and if you pay attention to it you know it’s true. We have the potential to win a championship this year. We’ve beaten every top team in the NBA. With and Without Iverson, If A.I. can play with a sense of anger, which he had back in his early Phili days, and come off the bench playing 25-30 mins a game, just watch out. But the Pistons right now need a motivated Iverson to reach the next level.
Johnny (#1 Stuckey fan)
on March 4, 2009 at 11:57 am
so glad i made that game last night. It was really something to see 22,000+ fans cheer for our dear old friend Chauncey. I sure miss him that’s for certain.
OMG! people please get off it! Chauncey is SO overrated! AI isn’t the problem, Michael Curry is …maybe if he stopped changing the line-up every 5 seconds, then the players would have a chance to get comfortable playing with each other. The Pistons would have had a tough time this year with or without Chauncey because Curry is an idiot!
AI has had it very tough since he’s been in Detroit…not only from his teammates (who so clearly want to be playing with Chauncey), but also from Pistons fans (constantly criticizing him and rambling on and on about “Mr. Big Shot”)…
I’m glad that the Palace fans left little doubt for Chauncey that he is loved by Detroit and that the truth of the matter is that Joe doesn’t consult us on trades (too bad). It was awful to see him and Rip on opposite teams – I just wanted him to suit up in a Piston uniform and get us a win against Denver. So glad to see Rip back in the starting lineup again (where he should always have been) and the Pistons looking more like their former selves, which is to say…winners.
The Fluidics
“I’m also glad that as the game wore on, less and less people were cheering on Chauncey because they were more interested in a Pistons win. That’s how it should be. I always cheer my guys in the intros, but once that clock starts ticking, it’s stricly Pistons.”
_____________________
Me too and plus, it was funny hearing everybody Scream “Airball” when Chauncey completely missed the rim one shot.
I don’t know if they saw this on TV, but I was at the game last night. There was one possession where Rip was guarding Chauncey, and Rip started waving one of his hands around in Chauncey’s face, trying to distract him. It was one of the funniest things ever.
elnoramarie,
Please; this was a remembrance for some of us…
Do you only support stuperstars as Sheed would say?lol!
Geez some people actually have it within themselves to be friend for life,or can you not comprehend this?
Agreed Curry is a giant putz.
But Mr. Billups represented this city with the utmost class.Some people appreciate that.
Nuff said, everyone have a wonderful day!
AI is terrible, and is a cancer!! he will continue to infect our players and mr. D will have no reason to retain him. AI won’t be happy on the bench and will destroy any gas we might have left when he returns. worst trade ever for the pistons. we traded our franchise for a face and it hasn’t helped with anything but jersey sales. for the first time ever in joe D history we should all be disapointed in his decision. this might not be the worst for us, even though we have won three big games, we could all see a very crazy ending to this already long season.
Yeah, Billups will allways be my No 1. Great game by Chauncy in his return to Detroit but more importantely, Pistons won again. Three huge wins and counting! Where this will leave AI, I don´t know. I doubt he can adjust to coming off the bench.
Still think Joe did the right move though, looking at it longterm.
Tonight during the Dallas-San Antonio game Mike Trico said he thought it was a class act the way that the Pistons organization recgonized Billups last night.
Mark Jackson who never was on my list of favorite announcers is now totally in the dumpster after responding. “But the Pistons organization owed it to him”
Natalie
Long time reader of your web site. Never wrote you, but just wanted to say I was so glad for Chauncey’s welcome back to Detroit. Mason’s introduction and the crowd’s applause gave me chills. I think that it was a good thing for Chauncey to be traded. Not for the Pistons, but for himself. He is getting older and I am so glad for him that he is back home. With family and old friends.
Just started up a Pistons specific blog. http://motorcitystones.blogspot.com linked to you for your Billups intro. Thanks for the great post and work you do over here. Hopefully we can make it on your Pistons blogroll! Thanks.
THANK YOU!
Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetrooooooooooooooooooit
BaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaskeetBaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall!
I can honestly say I don’t miss his attitude of being completely complacent in the first half of games for the last two years.
That said, I respect what he did for this team in his time here.
It was a great night to be at the Palace, the reception Chauncey got was great. I’m thinking back tothe not so friendly welcome we gave Ben Wallace on his return, and contrasting it with Billups. Wow.
I’m also glad that as the game wore on, less and less people were cheering on Chauncey because they were more interested in a Pistons win. That’s how it should be. I always cheer my guys in the intros, but once that clock starts ticking, it’s stricly Pistons.
Always in our heart! BA BA BA Billups!!
DETROIT WON!!! 3 in a row!!
Hes a perfect example of “you dont know what you got till its gone”…Billups will always be a piston…The 6’3333333333 chaunceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyy ba ba billups!
You know what’s funny?
I guarantee if that trade idea went public before it happened, we would’ve lost Rip too
Great post, Nat. Barring the two games that he played with us this season this was probably my favorite game of the year. Billups scored a ton, got a warm welcome and the Pistons still pulled out the W.
great intro… and awesome toi see him do the presser in fromnt of the Pistons’ backdrop like old times
and game couldnt have gone any better, competitive, big shots, billups played well, and pistons won! 🙂
Man, what a intro, fans going nuts for a opponent. Wonder if once Billups contract up he will come back where he is sorely missed.
I miss billups so bad Classy guy
Nat,
Thanks for the video… it was truly electric and the intro was well-deserved for a guy I hope gets that #1 retired and if he ever makes the HOF he does as a Piston.
Having said that, let’s play devil’s advocate for a moment (so please any WTFs, keep them in your pockets… disagree if you may but without hate. I can take criticism well) and let’s talk a minute about the other “#1,” Allen Iverson. I saw this poster in Nat’s video, “You’ll always be #1 in our hearts.” Very compelling and I agree with it as I said above. I can’t help thinking, however, what’s on AI’s mind when he’s still seen as some kind of impostor.
I mean, Allen’s no angel and some of his behaviors are far from classy, but sometimes people portray him like he’s the love child of Derrick Coleman, Stephon Marbury, and Kermit Washington (and quite frankly, if have to choose between being a bona fide cancer, holding a team hostage or almost killing a man on the court, I’ll take 23 1/2 “practice” in 4 minutes). Unfortunately, it seems the experiment in Detroit was a failure and he’s still resented for taking #1. Whether he was able to refuse or not, that’s something I don’t know…
All I can say in his defense is that I hope that a player of his caliber and stature, one who changed the game in many ways, the original “one-man fast break,” and one of the fiercest competitors ever doesn’t become a rich-man’s version of Raef LaFrentz and we don’t have to hear Bill Simmons on ESPN making jokes about “Allen Iverson’s Expiring Contract.”
Once again, I’m glad the Pistons won – the guys and fans needed that badly – and that Smooth got the welcoming he deserved (he was no Ben anyway!)… now let’s keep the W’s piling up and MAYBE, maybe we can become that team nobody wants to meet in the playoffs.
Thank God that’s over.
The Chauncey and Ben departures are completely different, Chauncey signed a long term deal thinking he would retire a Piston and then got trades, Ben was offered to be the highest payed Piston of all time, but he left for a division rival for 10 mil more.
Ba Ba Ba Billups!!! man I miss the dude, I wish the trade could be undone. my favorite player playing against my favorite team… I’m glad he had a good game tonight.
Thank you for getting this up so quick. You’re great!!
yea fuckerz we won it, another big win for us, ice for dyess is coming, and fuck chaunceys return. forget about him stop saying that D needs him back. we have iverson now, forget billups. why does everyone care so much about chauncey? move on already. if i was at the game id boo him, hes not a piston anymore. hes a rival. and we beat his ass tonite.
i cant wait till ai comes back to work with the zoo crew, we will be unstoppable, the best bench in the league by far, and iverson will be very comfortable on the court cuz hes used to being the go-to guy on the floor with a bunch of role players around him. i wanna see some 5 for 5 subs from curry or else nothing will change. stuckey hamilton prince wallace dyess is one lineup, iverson, afflalo or bynum, hermann, maxiell and johnson the other lineup. i dont think were gonna lose more than 5 more games for the rest of the season, if curry simply does what i said right there with the lineups
@DEEEEEETROIT BASKETBALLL
lmfao. Your comment is 50,000,000 counts of wrong. You are a complete fucking idiot. If you don’t miss Chauncey at all, then you show no respect for what he did here. Fuck you. Pretty sure we lost more than 5 games for the season. Btw, you can’t just always replace a lineup with a completely different lineup. Most players can’t come into the game and immediately contribute. They need some time to heat up, which is why they need to come into the game with other people that are already in the game. Your whole comment ended up being completely wrong, and shows how much of an idiot and hypocrite you are. HA! Fuck you, Fuck Iverson, and go to Hell. Thanks 😀
Hey Natalie,
Thank you so much for posting the intro, the post game interview and the memories of CB. I cried….
damn.. i don’t regret the trade because we needed a change.. but it still sucks to see chauncey in another color and another # at that… i know its basically impossible but i would love to see him come back here.. to bad we signed him to a contract so he could retire in detroit.. well good pistons win i guess, but i still come away from this feeling disappointed.. but hey at least we have beaten three top teams in a row… fuck AI put him in with the bench and let him shoot all day long..
Sad to see Chauncey in the Palace but on a different team, but at least he left Detroit with the great lasting memory of being the Pistons 2004 Final MVP… and to think they should have/could have had a couple more… Retire a Piston Chauncey!
Man! That is sooo awesome. I had class late, and I was very upset that I would miss Chauncey’s intro. Awesome moment! Mason was great. Chauncey looked so happy, like he was truly home. It’s almost like he never left. Miss him here in Detroit, but I’m glad he’s home in Denver. A true class act!
Thanks for the vid, Natalie.
With that said, good win! Biggest win streak we’ve had since the new year.. ouch!
Six spot on playoff ranking is the better for us, it means to play against Orlando in the first round and avoid Boston and Cleveland. I think we can manage Orlando as usual, then find the rhythm and fight the Cavs or Celts.
Great win. Loved to see Chauncey back.
But is it just me or all the other players (except AI and Dice) were tanking the season?
C’mon, aren’t they supposed to be professionals? They were stinking on the court and now that AI is missing they start playing like this? Why weren’t they playing like this before?
Don’t say that Stuck is uncomfortable playing with AI, when they’re together on the court, Stuck shoots more than AI a lot of times. Check the stats, a lot of times Stuck has more FG attempts.
I’m just gonna say this, if Detroit is playing like the Pistons of old, prepare for another disappointing loss in the playoffs. We just don’t have a go-to guy who can score in the clutch. Don’t forget that the last 3 years, when we needed something, the other team was trapping Billups and we just couldn’t score.
I accept criticism, just don’t curse and hate. Thanks!
Thanks…
Did this old duffer’s heart good to see!
Loved C.B. and always will…good player
and A++++++ human being!
Nat,
As I said on twitter, a million thank you’s for posting this. So many of us don’t have FSN+ and couldn’t see this live.
What a great reception, and it was so very well-deserved. He was one of the best Pistons in history — and not just as a player. His work off the court in Detroit was just as special as what he did on the court.
@El Patron: I see where you are coming from, and to an extent, I agree with you. I do wonder if AI has been bothered by all this, from the media questioning whether or not the Pistons need him to the incredible reception for Chauncey tonight.
However, there is no doubt in my mind that AI has been part of the problem this season; that said, I don’t necessarily blame him or that.
To his credit, he’s been a professional for the most part (except for skipping practice). He’s made every effort to conform his style of play to Detroit’s. His shot attempts are down, for example. In fact, I’ve actually come to like AI — which is a really big deal for me.
I blame most of the failure not on AI, but on the coaching staff that has yet to find a way to integrate AI’s style of play into Piston basketball. Since day one, Piston fans, writers, and bloggers have been saying AI should go to the bench, not Rip, which would allow AI to be himself with the Zoo Crew.
If AI accepts the 20-25 minute role as the Zoo Crew leader (anyone remember The Microwave?), then the Pistons could be straight up lethal come playoff time.
Think about it, who wants to play the Pistons — who play like the Pistons of the past 6 seasons — with the addition of AI as the 6th man?
I know we all have our beef with AI in one way or another, but we can all agree that we want Detroit to succeed. And if AI accepts the sixth man role, and he plays well in that role, I think we are one helluva scary team in the playoffs.
WOW, I almost cried when I saw chauncey’s intro. I miss him so much. thanks Nat about the video!
This is key, and if you pay attention to it you know it’s true. We have the potential to win a championship this year. We’ve beaten every top team in the NBA. With and Without Iverson, If A.I. can play with a sense of anger, which he had back in his early Phili days, and come off the bench playing 25-30 mins a game, just watch out. But the Pistons right now need a motivated Iverson to reach the next level.
Wow great ovation great job guys
You stay classy Detroit
Have you seen this?
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3897136
I know it’s a little old, but maybe it’s new for somebody.
so glad i made that game last night. It was really something to see 22,000+ fans cheer for our dear old friend Chauncey. I sure miss him that’s for certain.
OMG! people please get off it! Chauncey is SO overrated! AI isn’t the problem, Michael Curry is …maybe if he stopped changing the line-up every 5 seconds, then the players would have a chance to get comfortable playing with each other. The Pistons would have had a tough time this year with or without Chauncey because Curry is an idiot!
AI has had it very tough since he’s been in Detroit…not only from his teammates (who so clearly want to be playing with Chauncey), but also from Pistons fans (constantly criticizing him and rambling on and on about “Mr. Big Shot”)…
CHAUNCEY IS GONE, DEAL WITH IT!
thanks Nat for posting the video..I miss Chauncey and from the sounds of the fans it seem everyone else does too
I’m glad that the Palace fans left little doubt for Chauncey that he is loved by Detroit and that the truth of the matter is that Joe doesn’t consult us on trades (too bad). It was awful to see him and Rip on opposite teams – I just wanted him to suit up in a Piston uniform and get us a win against Denver. So glad to see Rip back in the starting lineup again (where he should always have been) and the Pistons looking more like their former selves, which is to say…winners.
The Fluidics
“I’m also glad that as the game wore on, less and less people were cheering on Chauncey because they were more interested in a Pistons win. That’s how it should be. I always cheer my guys in the intros, but once that clock starts ticking, it’s stricly Pistons.”
_____________________
Me too and plus, it was funny hearing everybody Scream “Airball” when Chauncey completely missed the rim one shot.
And this is happening, it makes me a little nervous. Not sure what’s what yet.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090304/SPORTS03/90304086/1051/Pistons++Allen+Iverson+out+2+weeks
I don’t know if they saw this on TV, but I was at the game last night. There was one possession where Rip was guarding Chauncey, and Rip started waving one of his hands around in Chauncey’s face, trying to distract him. It was one of the funniest things ever.
Until Chauncey nailed the shot.
Iverson’s out for 2 weeks! http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/iverson_090304.html
I bet a million dollars I know what Nat’s thinking about the Iverson’s out for back problems items. 🙂
Well folks, I’m heading up to MI tomorrow. For those of you going to Friday’s game, see ya there! 😀
Damn I miss that guy. What were ya thinking Joe. Oh well, the show must go on.
elnoramarie,
Please; this was a remembrance for some of us…
Do you only support stuperstars as Sheed would say?lol!
Geez some people actually have it within themselves to be friend for life,or can you not comprehend this?
Agreed Curry is a giant putz.
But Mr. Billups represented this city with the utmost class.Some people appreciate that.
Nuff said, everyone have a wonderful day!
i wish chauncey came back to detroit. then they would have to live with a 30-29 record!!!
AI is terrible, and is a cancer!! he will continue to infect our players and mr. D will have no reason to retain him. AI won’t be happy on the bench and will destroy any gas we might have left when he returns. worst trade ever for the pistons. we traded our franchise for a face and it hasn’t helped with anything but jersey sales. for the first time ever in joe D history we should all be disapointed in his decision. this might not be the worst for us, even though we have won three big games, we could all see a very crazy ending to this already long season.
Yeah, Billups will allways be my No 1. Great game by Chauncy in his return to Detroit but more importantely, Pistons won again. Three huge wins and counting! Where this will leave AI, I don´t know. I doubt he can adjust to coming off the bench.
Still think Joe did the right move though, looking at it longterm.
Tonight during the Dallas-San Antonio game Mike Trico said he thought it was a class act the way that the Pistons organization recgonized Billups last night.
Mark Jackson who never was on my list of favorite announcers is now totally in the dumpster after responding. “But the Pistons organization owed it to him”
What a troll
Natalie
Long time reader of your web site. Never wrote you, but just wanted to say I was so glad for Chauncey’s welcome back to Detroit. Mason’s introduction and the crowd’s applause gave me chills. I think that it was a good thing for Chauncey to be traded. Not for the Pistons, but for himself. He is getting older and I am so glad for him that he is back home. With family and old friends.
Just started up a Pistons specific blog. http://motorcitystones.blogspot.com linked to you for your Billups intro. Thanks for the great post and work you do over here. Hopefully we can make it on your Pistons blogroll! Thanks.