Chauncey Billups is calling it quits in his basketball career announcing on Tuesday that he is retiring from the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports was among the first to report the development

"It's just time. I know when it's time," Billups said. "My mind and my desire is still strong. I just can't ignore the fact that I haven't been healthy for three years. I can try again and get to a point where I think I can go, but I just can't sustain. Me not being able to play the way that I can play, that's when you kind of know it's that time.

The 37-year-old Billups nicknamed “Mr. Big Shot” was drafted third overall in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, where he played for 51 games in his rookie season.

Billups was then traded to the Toronto Raptors and played there for 29 games before landing with the Denver Nuggets (1998-1999). Billups also played for the Minnesota Timberwolves (2000-2002) and the Detroit Pistons (2002-2008), where he won an NBA championship. He also suited up for the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers in the latter part of his colourful career.

Chauncey Billups Top 10 Plays in the NBA Playoffs:

(YouTube/NBA)

"It's just time. I'm happy, excited. The game was very, very good to me. I felt like I was equally as good to the game the way I played it and the way I respected it and the way I carried myself through the process," Billups added in the same article.

Billups will be best remembered for his leadership role with the Pistons champion team in 2004. Billups was the leader of that squad which featured the likes of Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace that beat the powerhouse Los Angeles Lakers team with Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Karl Malone.

Aside from being an NBA champion, Billups was also a five-time NBA All Star for consecutive years from 2006 to 2010; a member of the All-NBA Second Team in 2006; and a two time NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2005 and 2006.

Billups retirement comes as a no surprise as he has struggled with staying in the floor due to health concerns in the past seasons. Billups has career averages of 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists in the regular season and has lived up to the billing as a clutch performer upping those averages to 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists in the postseason.