Chauncey Billups: ‘I’m Tired of Being the Good Guy’


Chauncey Billups isn’t handling the fact that he was waived by the Knicks very well, and tells Yahoo! Sports that any (non-contending) team that dares to sign him will be in a world of trouble: “He wants the freedom of free agency to choose a contender, Billups says. As one of the game’s great leaders, and gentlemen, Billups warns that player will be a distant memory should a team claim him off the amnesty waiver wire. ‘I’ m tired of being the good guy,’ Billups said. ‘I’m tired of being viewed as the guy. After a while, you just kind of get taken advantage of in these situations. I’ve been known as a leader, and I am a leader, but a leader can be as disruptive as he can be productive, especially when you carry a strong voice and people rally around you. This is about me now. This is about me, and teams should know that right now.’ The Knicks picked up Billups’ $14.2 million option for the 2011-’12 season, but used the new amnesty provision on him so that they could sign free agent Tyson Chandler. Under the new rule, the team that offers to pay the highest portion of his contract can secure him in a blind bidding process. The Knicks will be left to pay for the remainder of the deal. If Billups goes unclaimed, he can sign as a free agent. The Miami Heat would be a strong possibility for him, among several contenders.”