Mario Chalmers is a cult-hero and somewhat of a legend with the Miami Heat, winning two NBA Championships alongside their Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Chalmers was the starting point guard on that team and one of the players who was crucial to their success.
With the recent spate of COVID-19 cases across the NBA, there have been a number of ex-players who were out of the league that have received an opportunity to fill for the players that are in health and safety protocols. Players like Isaiah Thomas, Lance Stephenson and Brandon Knight have all seen playing time, with Chalmers being the latest to get a 10-day contract.
And the former Heat man has revealed his shock at being offered a 10-day deal by the Heat, who are missing a number of their regular players like Duncan Robinson, PJ Tucker, Victor Oladipo and Bam Adebayo. Chalmers’ reaction was shared by Heat reporter Anthony Chiang for the Miami Herald.
“I’m not going to lie. My immediate reaction is I didn’t believe it. I thought my agent was playing with me.”
Mario Chalmers on the moment he heard about his 10-day opportunity with the Heat: "I thought my agent was playing with me."
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) January 1, 2022
Chalmers last played for the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2017-18 season, playing 66 games while averaging 7.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He has since been out of the league and plying his trade across Europe, Puerto Rico and most recently the NBA G-League.
Rio didn’t feature in the first game he was available for when the Miami Heat played the Houston Rockets and won by a score of 120-110 behind 37 points from their superstar Jimmy Butler. His next opportunity to feature for the Heat presents itself on Sunday night when they take on the Sacramento Kings.
The Heat are currently the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference despite their many issues due to COVID-19 and will be looking to climb up the rankings, considering that they are just 2 games out of the No. 1 spot. If nothing else, Chalmers’ presence and winning know-how should be a great help in guiding this team to reach their highest level.
