If you consider yourself a fan of the Jayhawks, then surely the name Mario Chalmers brings a smile to your face. The KU legend has accomplished significant goals throughout his decorated career that most people can only dream of. The most notable being his historic three-point shot that beat the clock at the end of regulation in the 2008 National Championship game, and was crucial in helping Kansas eventually capture the title over Memphis in overtime.
Since leaving the campus of KU, Chalmers has had a professional career to remember. He just added to his list of accolades once again on Sunday, August 24th during yet another championship game appearance for the legend from Anchorage, Alaska.
Chalmers plays for Miami 305 in the professional 3-on-3 basketball league known as the Big 3, founded by Los Angeles MC, Ice Cube. He is the captain of the team, and competes with co-captain and former rival from Kansas State, Michael Beasley. Miami 305 was playing in the championship game against the Chicago Triplets when Chalmers hit the game-sealing shot from deep to give Miami 305 a 52-48 win over the Triplets. A team wins the game when they score 50 or more points while also leading by two or more points, according to the rules of Fireball3 (a variant and style of 3-on-3 basketball used by the Big 3). The Chalmers dagger allowed his team to reach 52 points, and a four-point lead over the opponent, meaning his shot ended the game and gave Miami 305 the Big 3 title.
The game-clinching bucket added to his impressive list of championship game victories. Chalmers won not one but two Alaska state championships during his adolescent years at Bartlett High School in 2002 and 2003, and also finished as a runner-up in 2004. Of course, he then won the 2008 national title with KU and was immortalized as an all-time American sports icon. During his NBA career, he was a part of the 2012 and 2013 NBA Finals winning squad, the Miami Heat. After his NBA days were concluded, Chalmers won a FIBA Champions League title in 2019 with Virtus Bologna, an Italian team. The next year in 2020, the bona fide champion won yet another championship, this time being the Greek Cup while playing for AEK Athens. Since then, Chalmers has been competing in the Big 3, and has suited up for multiple teams within the organization. Fast-forward to 2025, and Chalmers has just secured another title with Miami 305, the eighth championship title of his storied career through many different leagues spanning over the last two decades.
Will Chalmers be able to find his way to another championship victory sometime in the future? If history has told us anything, then you should bet yes. There is no telling how much more time the 39-year-old is going to have in his playing career, but by the shot that sealed his team the big win on Sunday night, he doesn't look a day over 21.