Mario Chalmers has already made it pretty clear that he’s happy to be back in the NBA with the Miami Heat.
He recently spoke about what it was like to not have any interest from NBA teams after the 2017-18 NBA season. He revealed that it was a difficult time for him, as he dealt with “a little depression” mentally.
“Mentally, I went into a little depression,” Chalmers told The Undefeated. “I’m not going to lie. Ever since I [was a] kid I always had basketball. Not having basketball, no teams calling and nobody wanting me was definitely hard.”
Chalmers might not get any action during his current 10-day stint with the Heat, but it sounds like he wants to find a way to stay in the league.
“I really don’t know what to expect,” Chalmers said in reference to his immediate future after his 10-day deal with Miami expires. “I hope I get another 10-day contract. I hope I get to sign for the rest of the year. The biggest thing is to keep playing. Expectations? I really don’t have none. Let’s see what happens.”
He also made sure to express his gratitude for the 10-day chance with Miami.
“I just appreciate them giving me the opportunity to come back and getting the love from the fans,” he said. “Even though I haven’t gotten a home game, I still have got a lot of love from Heat fans saying, ‘Welcome back.’”
The 35-year-old has already won two NBA titles in his career, but it’s clear that he still wants to accomplish more.
Chalmers has career averages of 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He’s a 41.7 percent shooter from the field and 35.1 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
Time will tell what the future holds for the veteran.
