Former NBA guard Mario Chalmers is vying for an NBA comeback, with the 34-year-old currently scanning the market as an unrestricted free agent. Chalmers explained his mindset and present situation in an interview with Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype this week.
“I definitely do,” Chalmers said when asked if he hopes to sign with an NBA team in the near future. “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. I 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, who holds experience with the Heat and Grizzlies, is a proven veteran with two NBA championships in his collection (2012 and 2013). He last played in the NBA with Memphis during the 2017/18 campaign, spending time in Greece last season.
Chalmers touched on a number of other subjects in the interview and echoed the thoughts of another veteran free agent, Raymond Felton, explaining how several teams are prioritizing younger players over locker room veterans in today’s NBA.
“I’ve definitely experienced that,” Chalmers said. “And, yeah, it is frustrating – just because there’s the saying, ‘A team always wants a winner.’ 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). Those guys are very important. For me, some of my vets were Dwyane Wade, ‘Bron, Jermaine O’Neal, Jamaal Magloire and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, so I’ve had vets that have actually been All-Stars and they’ve taught me about basketball, about family, about a lot of different things.
“I just feel like if I was an NBA GM or somebody that’s running an NBA team, I would want a couple of vets on my team, just to make sure my young guys are following suit and not doing too much off the court. You want to make sure they’re still focused on basketball and that they understand the business aspect of everything. And once you get to the NBA, you have a lot of freedom. And if you don’t use that freedom wisely, it could be a lot of trouble for you. So, I just feel like vets are good with that stuff. I had a lot of vets who helped me out and I feel like vets are always needed; somebody who’s been there before is always needed to help teach the new school.”
Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Free agent guard Isaiah Canaan has signed overseas in Russia with UNICS Kazan, the team announced today. Canaan, who was drafted 34th overall in 2013, holds NBA experience with the Rockets, Sixers, Bulls, Suns, Timberwolves and Bucks. He spent last season in the NBA G League.
- Veteran commentators Hubie Brown and Marv Albert won’t be calling games during the league’s restart in Orlando, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald tweets. Brown (86) and Albert (79) have an increased risk with COVID-19, preventing them from being at the campus.
- Shams Charania of The Athletic explores why class of 2021 high school star Jonathan Kuminga is signing in the NBA G League pro pathway program and reclassifying to the class of 2020. “I don’t see myself as a high school player again. I see my potential as an NBA player and with the G League they’ll help me a lot more than college,” Kuminga said as part of a larger quote.
If the Nets lose another player then Chalmers may have a chance.
Disappointed that in all Rio said, nothing had anything to do with ON-COURT assistance… it was all about being a mentor, a vet, a lockerroom guy. Well, there is no lockerroom in the bubble. Unless he has Covid-19 and pandemic experience, he doesn’t bring anything a team needs right now. I’d love for him to leave the game on his terms, and, at this point, he nor his game is a mystery to any GM. If somebody signs him, it’s not gonna be for veteran leadership in the lockerroom. Crawford didn’t get signed to help make the young guys wear their masks. I would have loved for Rio to talk more about how he can help a team on the court moreso than off it. Hell, I can do the things he spoke of.
Mario, what about the team that drafted you?
Minnesota.
Goto LA to replace Rondo
Sorry Chalmers, but as a Grizzlies fan I can confidently assert you aren’t good enough to be on an NBA roster anymore. He played well in his first season with the team, but was simply awful in our tank campaign. When your VORP is negative and you’re over 30, it’s simply time to retire