KU's Mario Chalmers Wins NBA Title

Mario becomes second Jayhawk to win an NCAA National Championship and NBA title

Mario Chalmers was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2008 NCAA Final Four. He won an NBA Title in 2012 with the Miami Heat.

June 21, 2012

Former Kansas standout Mario Chalmers joined elite company when his Miami Heat team won the 2012 NBA Finals over the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday. Chalmers joined former KU great Clyde Lovellette in becoming only the second Jayhawk to win an NCAA National Championship and an NBA title.

Lovellette, who will be inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in November 2012, was the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) of the 1952 NCAA Tournament in which Kansas won in Seattle. He later won three NBA titles with the Minneapolis Lakers in 1954 and the Boston Celtics in 1963 and 1964. Chalmers was the MOP of Kansas' 2008 NCAA National Championship team which won in San Antonio.

Chalmers becomes the 11th Jayhawk to win an NBA title and the second for the Miami Heat. Current KU team chaplain and former KU All-American Wayne Simien was a member of the 2006 Miami Heat NBA title team.

The 2012 NBA Finals guaranteed former Jayhawks would win an NBA title as Nick Collison and Cole Aldrich play for the Thunder.

KU NBA Champions

Clyde Lovellette (1950-52 at KU), Minneapolis Lakers - 1954; Boston Celtics - 1963, 1964

Maurice King (1955-57 at KU), Boston Celtics - 1960

Wilt Chamberlain (1957-58 at KU), Philadelphia 76ers - 1967; L.A. Lakers - 1972

Jo Jo White (1966-69 at KU), Boston Celtics - 1974, 1976

Bill Bridges (1959-61 at KU), Golden State Warriors - 1975

Wayne Simien (2002-05 at KU), Miami Heat - 2006

Jacque Vaughn (1994-97 at KU), San Antonio Spurs - 2007

Paul Pierce (1996-98 at KU), Boston Celtics - 2008

Scot Pollard (1994-97 at KU), Boston Celtics - 2008

Mario Chalmers (2006-08 at KU), Miami Heat - 2012

Kansas NBA Finals Most Valuable Players

Wilt Chamberlain - 1972

Jo Jo White - 1976

Paul Pierce - 2008