When former Kansas Jayhawks standouts Paul Pierce and Mario Chalmers were in the NBA together, they were part of one of the league's most fierce rivalries.
Pierce was a key cog on the Boston Celtics in the 2010s while Chalmers played for the Miami Heat. During the LeBron James era in Miami, the Heat were the Celtics' biggest rival.
Years later, Pierce and Chalmers can put it behind them ahead of the Jayhawks' big matchup against the BYU Cougars on Saturday. Pierce has tried to coax Chalmers into attending the game with him.
“I even called Mario Chalmers to say, ‘Man, meet me there,’’’ Pierce said on Kevin Garnett's KG Certified podcast. “Hopefully he’ll come because he’s part of a national championship that he won. He’s a legend there in Lawrence, Kansas. If you’ve got us both in the building it will be pretty dope.”
The reason for the excitement is simple: the game features two of the top players in college basketball. The Jayhawks have freshman star Darryn Peterson while BYU has AJ Dybantsta.
Both are expected to be the top picks in the June NBA draft
“I’m excited to get back there. (It’s) first time in a long time. It’s been a minute since I’ve been back,” Pierce said. . “I’m ingrained in the history. It’s time to get tapped back in."
While is already committed to attending the game, there is no word from Chalmers. He has, however, been spotted a few KU contests this season. Chalmers led the Jayhawks to the championship in 2008, getting past Derrick Rose and the mighty Memphis Tigers. Chalmers' late 3-pointer is one of the biggest shots in KU basketball folklore.
Pierce told Garnett he would love to see more former Jayhawks make an appearance so they can soak up the nostalgia of playing at the arena. It is one of the most storied venues in college basketball history.
“I’m telling you … when you walk into that building it’s got so much tradition," Pierce said. "I don’t even know how to explain it. But for me, in NBA terms, it’d be the Boston Garden of college. You’ve got the floor, the bleachers. They’ve got a sign at the top that says, ‘Beware of the Phog.’ The building is named after Phog Allen. They’ve got the banners of former players’ numbers up (in south rafters)."
It's saying a lot when Pierce, who played for years at the Boston Garden, says that about his alma mater.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of JayhawksRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com