DENVER — The principal of George Washington High School (GWHS) said her heart sank when she heard about Chauncey Billups' arrest on federal charges tied to an illegal poker operation, but said she still holds the alumnus in high regard.
"I'm worried about him, I'm worried about his family, and I'm worried about his reputation," said GWHS Principal Dackri Davis. "He is such an outstanding mentor to our youth, and he's a great man... he is very well revered in our community still."
Billups attended GWHS and led the high school basketball team to back-to-back state championships in 1993 and 1994. The high school has since retired his jersey and named the basketball court the "Chauncey Billups Court" in 2023 to honor the NBA legend.
Billups' legacy is also seen across the Park Hill neighborhood where he grew up, including his name and jersey painted in a mural on the Skyland Park basketball court.
Andrew Bartholomew, who grew up in Park Hill, said he remembers watching Billups play.
"I watched Chauncey his whole life... it was no choice. We had to watch Chauncey around here," he said. "We all looked up to him. Still do."
The FBI said Billups, who is now the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, was arrested Thursday as part of a larger federal investigation into two separate cases involving illegal poker schemes and illegal gambling.
"It's not hundreds of dollars. It's not thousands of dollars. It's not tens of thousands of dollars. It's not even millions of dollars. We're talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery," FBI Director Kash Patel said during a news conference on Thursday.
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Former Nugget Chauncey Billups, others arrested in FBI gambling investigation
As principal over the past four years, Davis told Denver7 she has formed a good relationship with Billups, who visits the high school anytime the Trail Blazers play the Denver Nuggets.
"I think when he took basketball seriously here, he impacted our community, not just those that are on his team and that state title that they achieved, but the way that he continues to give back through basketball in the state of Colorado, I think, just started here," Davis said.
While she's waiting for the legal process to play out, Davis said there is a lesson in his indictment for the kids who look up to him.
"Until we know the facts and how things kind of play out, we'll continue to share that message that people make mistakes, and we see it all over the place, and yes, our heroes, too, can," said Davis.
Billups also leads the Porter-Billups Leadership Academy at Regis University, a summer program that provides kids in underserved communities with leadership skills and scholarship opportunities. In a statement, Regis University said, "We are deeply troubled by the indictment against Chauncey Billups, co-founder of the Porter Billups Leadership Academy. We respect the legal process and will closely monitor developments as the facts emerge. Our unwavering commitment to the underserved youths through the PBLA program and our institutional integrity remains steadfast."
