Former Miami Heat guards Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole fired back after a member of Jeff Teague’s podcast claimed that nobody remembers them for winning rings.
Chalmers and Cole were brought up in the conversation after Teague revealed that he’d rather have a max contract than an NBA title. Teague won an NBA title with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2020-21 season.
Chalmers and Cole both responded on Instagram.
Chalmers made a good point, asking why he and Cole were brought up if the claim were true. Both Cole and Chalmers were key pieces alongside LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade during Miami’s Big 3 era.
Cole also pointed out that a max contract isn’t required to live a “luxury life.”
Chalmers, a former University of Kansas star, was drafted in the second round of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was ultimately traded to Miami and spent over seven seasons with the Heat before he was dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies.
For his career, Chalmers averaged 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Cole, a first-round pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, played for the Heat, New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder in his NBA career. The 34-year-old averaged 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from 3-point range in his NBA career.
With the Heat, Cole averaged 21.9 minutes per game across several seasons with the franchise. While he and Chalmers weren’t the best players on their title teams, they still were important to Miami’s success.
Whether other people remember or not, Chalmers and Cole can always look back on the fact that they accomplished the ultimate goal (twice) during their stints in the NBA.
Teague and others may not think that an NBA title is the end all, be all of being in the NBA, but it’s impossible to take the accomplishment away from those who have done it.