Mario Chalmers has emerged as a champion once again thanks to another unforgettably clutch shot.
Chalmers, who 17 years ago in San Antonio sent the Kansas Jayhawks’ NCAA title-game victory over Memphis to overtime with a tying 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left, drained the game-winning 3 on Sunday to propel Miami 305 to a 52-48 victory over the Chicago Triplets in the BIG3 finals at Orlando.
Former Kansas State standout Michael Beasley, who scored a game-high 25 points in the game in Florida, passed from the free-throw line to a wide-open Chalmers in the corner with four seconds left on the shot clock.
Chalmers swished the 3, giving Miami the target score and causing a wild celebration in which his teammates mobbed him on the court.
Chalmers, Beasley and other members of the Miami team (Lance Stephenson, Sean Williams and Reggie Evans) earned $1 million apiece for winning the 3-on-3 league title. Beasley earned league MVP honors for a second straight year.
Chalmers, who turned 39 on May 15, now has won eight championships at five different levels: high school, college, NBA, Europe and BIG3. He won state titles at Bartlett High in Alaska in 2002 and 2003; an NCAA title at KU in 2008; NBA titles with the Miami Heat in 2012 and ’13; an FIBA Champions League crown with Virtus Bologna of Italy in 2019; a Greek Cup title with AEK Athens in 2020; and, now, the BIG3 crown.
A year ago, Chalmers and Beasley’s team fell in the BIG3 title game. Earlier this summer, Chalmers told Courtside Buzz that winning the BIG3 championship “would mean I’ve won in every league I’ve ever touched.”
Chalmers, who played sparingly in Sunday’s final half, finished with five points, three assists, two rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal. Beasley led the way with 25 points and 12 rebounds.
Stephenson had 14 points and nine rebounds and Williams pulled down nine rebounds to go with six points for the champions. Montrezl Harrell had 16 points and Nasir Core 13 points with 11 rebounds for Chicago.
Chalmers, who played nine seasons in the NBA, was the 22nd overall pick in the 2019 BIG3 draft. In his rookie season with the 3 Headed Monsters, he tied for second in most 4-pointers made and was among four players in the league to make more than one 4-point shot.
Chalmers previously spent the last three seasons as captain of 3’s Company. And he was the captain of the Miami team this year. This was his sixth season in the league, and he was a BIG3 all star in 2022.
As for Chalmers and Beasley, they were teammates for a third straight season.
“It’s just fun,” Chalmers told the Miami Herald of participating in the BIG3. “Fun to get around the guys, play basketball, stay in some type of shape and being in a locker room again.”