Chauncey Billups saw his 2011/12 season cut short after he ruptured his Achilles tendon in a February game against the Magic, but the 35-year-old has no plans to retire and is looking forward to free agency this summer. Billups spoke to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post about his future, and provided a handful of noteworthy quotes. Here are the highlights from the interview:
On his recovery from the Achilles injury:
"I'm far ahead of schedule. It's going great; I can't complain at all. I don't know percentage-wise, but I'm functional now. I can move around good. I can't go run and jump, but I can be in the gym and shoot. I can't go side to side like I would like. But I'm far ahead of schedule, and it's going good."
On when he expects to be fully healthy:
"I plan on being ready by training camp. I heard all of these reports that [I'll] be back by January and all of that. I'm like, nah, that's the regular dude that would have gotten hurt, not me. I'm planning on playing all 82 games."
On where he might sign in free agency:
"I liked Clipperland. I liked the movement. I thought before I got hurt we really had fun and were playing great. I liked it a lot, but of course I would be crazy not to entertain any other offers that I might have. That's the fun of being a free agent."
On whether he'd sign with the Nuggets:
"I'll say this: Me and [team president] Josh [Kroenke] are cool. I'm good with everybody. But I can't see me, basketball-wise, playing in Denver again. What do you want me to do? They traded me two times. Want me to give them a third opportunity? My years there were great. We accomplished some great things. And they are looking good…. I had some great years there, and I'm always going to live there, but I can't see that."
On whether he seriously considered retirement following his injury:
"Never. Never, never. I never even thought that. It was funny, because I went down and got hurt, and before I even made it to the locker room people were talking about [me being] done. I'm like, 'Y'all serious?' But no, never."
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