Mario Chalmers

Almario Vernard "Mario" Chalmers is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Chalmers played his high school basketball at the Bartlett High School in Anchorage, Alaska. He led his team to two state championships in 2002 and 2003, and a runner-up finishes in 2004. In his senior year, he was named to the McDonald's All-American team as well as a third-team Parade All-American. In his high school career, Chalmers was also named 4A State Player of the Year three times in a row, becoming only the second player to do so.

After graduating from high school, he decided to commit to the University of Kansas. In his freshman season, he set a KU and Big 12 Conference record for most steals in a season by a freshman with 89. Chalmers helped Kansas win the Big 12 Tournament and was named Big 12 Tournament MVP. In his sophomore year, Chalmers was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year. He set a season total of 97 steals which has put him in the Kansas basketball history for most steals in a single season.

In his junior year, Chalmers scored 30 points in the Big 12 Conference tournament title game as Kansas defeated Texas. He also helped his team win the 2008 NCAA Championship and was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Chalmers was drafted as the 34th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was later traded to the Miami Heat.

In 2011, Chalmers re-signed with the Heat on a three-year, $12 million contract. In Game 4 of the 2012 NBA Finals, he scored 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to help the Heat win the game. Chalmers went onto win his first NBA title as the Heat won the series in 5 games. In 2013, he scored a career-high 34 points against the Sacramento Kings, tying Heat’s record for 10 three-pointers in a game.

He scored a game-high 19 points in Game 2 of the 2012 NBA Finals to help Heat tie the series 1-1. In a crucial Game 6, Chalmers scored 20 points to help Heat win the game 103-100. He went onto win his second NBA title as the Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs in an intense seven-game series. Chalmers re-signed with the Heat in 2014. In 2015, he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Chalmers re-signed with the Grizzlies in 2017.