‘King of Park Hill’ Trading Adidas For Spurs
Chauncey Billups To Lead National Western Stock Show Parade
By Cara DeGette
On Thursday, Jan. 8, Park Hill basketball legend Chauncey Billups will adopt a new swagger for the day, serving as Grand Marshal for the 109th National Western Stock Show.
Riding in a horse-drawn stagecoach, Billups and his family will lead the nearly century old tradition of Longhorn cattle, horses, and western wagons through the streets of downtown Denver to celebrate the start of the 2015 National Western Stock Show, at the Denver Coliseum north of Park Hill. The NWSS runs Jan. 10 to 25.
The Jan. 8 parade begins at noon at Union Station. Participants will march 15 blocks down 17th Street, showcasing Denver’s westerns traditions with marching bands, horses, cattle, tractors and stagecoaches.
Billups, AKA Smooth, Mr. Big Shot, and the King of Park Hill, sports a tattoo on his left shoulder of a crowned figure spinning a basketball on his finger. Surrounding the crowned figure are the words, “King of Park Hill,” in honor of the ‘hood where he grew up. Billups was a star athlete at both George Washington High School and the University of Colorado, and went on to a stunning 17-year career in the National Basketball Association – winning championships with the Detroit Pistons and leading the Denver Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals. He retired from the game last year.
“Chauncey has been a leader throughout his sports career and he continues to embody a strong commitment to family and to the Denver community outside of sports,” National Western Stock Show President & CEO Paul Andrews said in a press release. “We are honored to have Denver’s own King of Park Hill as our Parade Grand Marshal.”
“The National Western Stock Show has been part of the fabric of Denver since I was born,” Billups was quoted saying. “As a proud Coloradan, I am honored to be selected as Parade Grand Marshal for this iconic Colorado event.”
The Jan 8 parade concludes with the annual barbecue lunch in the atrium of the Wells Fargo Building at 17th Street & Broadway. The barbecue is open to the public and benefits the 4-H International Youth Group; meal tickets are $10.
For more information, including a complete schedule of this year’s stock show and rodeos, contact the National Western Stock Show at 303-297-1166 or at nationalwestern.com.