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What was the first big moment when you realized, “Boy, finally, I’m in the NBA. This is actually happening. It’s real”? Derrick White: Yeah, I mean, the first time I actually had some real minutes. I check in against OKC, and I go to the free-throw line, and I got Carmelo Anthony and Paul George. And I’m from Colorado, and so Carmelo Anthony was basically my whole childhood. So I’m kind of like, “This is amazing that I’m here next to you. I can’t believe it.” So that was kind of my—my eyes are wide open the whole time. I probably turned it over the next play.
Billups used a mouse he owns in Colorado as collateral for the bond, which was signed in court by his wife and daughter Sydney.
Billups has been in one of his two Colorado houses for the past several months, according to sources with direct knowledge of his whereabouts. The 15,000-square-foot Greenwood Village estate he purchased in 2007 was used as collateral for his $5 million bond. He sold his Lake Oswego, Oregon, house for $4.275 million shortly after his arrest and indefinite unpaid leave from his head coaching job with the Trail Blazers.
He spends his days quietly, according to sources close to him, with his family and friends in the Denver area, playing golf, watching games and communicating with a handful of NBA brethren. The terms of his release restrict him from traveling outside the United States, and any state or city other than Colorado, California, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington D.C. or New York City.
“That was the closest I had been to seeing or being there to experience a championship team, I guess,” Simpson said. “Seeing them just go by. The job is finished. That was mad inspiring to me. Like, man, I want to feel that one day.” Almost three years later, Simpson is back in Colorado, where he’s beloved for his three-year CU career and March Madness heroics in 2024. The former Buffs guard signed a two-way contract with the Nuggets on Thursday.
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As Meridian Sport unofficially learns from sources close to Denver , the first forecasts in Colorado are encouraging when it comes to Nikola Jokić's injury ! Namely, the first indications are that it was a case of hyperextension and that no serious damage occurred. Of course, we have to wait for the official medical report, but judging by the initial reactions, the best basketball player in the world could avoid a long break. If so, he was very lucky, as were every player, every coach, every fan of Denver, Serbia... and basketball.
Last summer, Cade Cunningham coordinated an “off-the-grid” week in Colorado with friends that Duren felt broadened his horizons. The group stayed in small cabins with few modern amenities and spent time in nature, training, hiking and fishing. “He opens my eyes to different things,” Duren told The Athletic. “The Colorado (trip), I would’ve never done that. (We’re) literally outside, in the woods, only one TV in the main cabin. (There were) bugs, little ass mattresses. I would’ve never done that (on my own). … I feel like that’s what you need in your friend or homie. “Someone who’s elevating your mindset and encouraging you to grow.”
Ramona Shelburne: The judge has set bail for Chauncey Billups at $5 million. Billups used his house in Colorado as collateral. His wife and daughter co-signed the bond.
The 27-year-old, who was drafted by Denver as the 14th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, signed a five-year contract extension with the Nuggets in 2021 that was worth an estimated $200 million. That same year, Porter snapped up a beautiful apartment inside the Four Seasons Residences in the Colorado city, paying $4.5 million for the three-bedroom unit, which had previously been owned by famed architect Curtis Fentress.
The eight-year NBA veteran boasts an Olympic gold medal and an NBA championship. That’s not just a résumé White is proud to have, he believes his success allows others to recognize their capabilities. “I’m from Colorado and they can see a kid from Colorado made it and say, ‘Why not me?’” White said. “I saw Chauncey (Billups) do it and I know it’s possible. Hopefully one of these kids sees me and what I’ve managed to accomplish and they’ll think it’s possible to reach their dreams, whatever that might be.”
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Law Murray: Tyronn Lue says that roster is healthy and went through practice today in LA today Traveling to Colorado this afternoon.
The game of basketball has taken King and White from Boulder, Colorado, to all over the world. White played for USA Basketball in the 2023 World Cup and on their gold medal winning team during the 2024 Paris Olympics. White and the Celtics also played preseason games against the Denver Nuggets at Abu Dhabi Games 2024. As for King, he had short stints with the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks and in the G League, but of late has played overseas. King currently is a guard for Egypt’s Al Ittihad who opened the 2025 BAL season with a 71-60 win over host FUS Rabat on April 5. “I haven’t talked to him about playing in Africa, but I definitely will,” White said about King. “But I just think it’s amazing that he continues to get better and continues to put so much work into the game. A lot of people that go overseas sometimes lose their love for the game. But I think he just fell more in love with the process and the things he needs to do to keep his body healthy. It’s great to see.”
King first joined Colorado’s basketball program during the 2013-14 season. White transferred to Colorado from Division II University of Colorado Colorado Springs in 2015 and redshirted his first season with one year of eligibility remaining. King didn’t see anything during White’s redshirt season that suggested he could be an NBA player. King added that White was quiet and focused on adjusting to Division I basketball. “I knew that he was good. I knew that he had size and athleticism. But did I see what he is now? An Olympian? I did not personally. And that’s just God, and that’s a testament to him and his game,” King said about White.
