> **Chauncey** **Billups:** This year is a little different. I really do feel like this year is the beginning, if that makes sense. We went through some tough few years, some pretty lean years, but for good reason. It worked out. You know what byproducts of those tough years are? Shaedon Sharpe. And Scoot and Donovan. You get Toumani in the process of that. You get Deni in the process of that. So, those painful years worked out. You know, we got some incredible young players. And I really do just feel like this is the beginning now.
>
> **Lamar Hurd:** When you say you’ve grown, how so?
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> **Billups:** Pretty much in every aspect. My voice for the team, my understanding… it’s funny, and you know this about me, like amongst our team and our players I never, ever talk about my playing career. I just don’t do it. I always said when I become a coach, I’m never going to be that ‘yeah, back when I played or this is what I did or we were this.’ I never do that.
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> **Hurd:** Why not?
>
> **Billups:** Well, I just I played for coaches that have done that, and that didn’t matter to me. What mattered to me was how they could actually help me. And that doesn’t help me to be able to just say, ‘Oh, this is what I did or I accomplished this or I to me that doesn’t matter. It’s how can I get there? How can you help me get there?”‘ So, that’s really all I focus on is how I can help these guys achieve what they want to achieve.