Mario Chalmers’ professional basketball career continues: ‘Greece here I come’
Former University of Kansas combo guard Mario Chalmers, who helped AEK of Athens win the Greek Cup last season, has signed a contract to play back in Greece during the 2020-21 season.
This time, the 6-foot-2 Chalmers will compete for Aris, a team located in Thessaloniki, Greece.
“Until we meet again America … Greece here I come,” the 34-year-old Chalmers wrote Wednesday on Twitter. “I haven’t been this excited to go play basketball in a long time ..... new team same mission,” he added.
Chalmers — he played in the NBA for nine seasons with Miami and Memphis — won two championships with the Miami Heat after helping KU snare the 2008 NCAA title.
Chalmers in addition to the Greek Cup title helped Segafredo Virtus Bologna of Italy capture the 2018-19 Basketball Champions League title overseas.
“It’s a lot of fun being over there (Europe). The fans are great. You get to go to new cities and the cities are great. It’s a lot of fun to experience a different culture and live life and be able to travel while playing basketball at the same time,” Chalmers said on a Hoopshype.com podcast. “I had a blast in Greece. That was definitely a lot of fun playing over there.”
Chalmers has received no interest from NBA teams the past few offseasons.
“I definitely think I can still help a team, especially with my resume. I have a lot of knowledge since I’ve been to four NBA Finals and won two NBA championships and a college national championship,” Chalmers said on the Hoopshype.com podcast. “Just feel like I can provide a lot of knowledge to a young point guard and be a mentor. That’s the role that I’d come back to the NBA and be, so I’m open to it if it happens.”
Chalmers tore his Achilles tendon in 2016. He’s completely recovered from that injury.
“It is frustrating — just because there’s the saying, ‘A team always wants a winner,’’’ Chalmers said. “I just feel like with my resume, I’m a proven winner. I’m not a bad guy in the locker room; I’m not a jerk. So, I just feel like for me to not even get a chance and not even get a workout or nothing like that, it’s a little disheartening.
“But that’s the way the business goes… I’m definitely surprised how they’ve shifted away from (veterans in NBA). Those guys are very important.”
This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Mario Chalmers’ professional basketball career continues: ‘Greece here I come’."
