Chalmers enjoying his moment in the sun

The youngster, who was held by his father, quietly slid his copy of Sports Illustrated across the table to Kansas guard Mario Chalmers.
There, on the cover of the national publication, was Chalmers sinking the 3-point basket that paved the way to Kansas’ national championship victory over Memphis, capping a March Madness celebration that is still going on in Lawrence, Kan.
“Hey buddy,” the former University of Kansas star basketball star said to the wide-eyed youngster.
“What’s your name?”
The youngster buried his head into his father’s Jayhawk T-shirt.
There was no answer.
“I get that a lot,” Chalmers said. “Hard to believe how one basket can change a player’s life forever.”
The Sports Illustrated cover boy wasn’t even the Jayhawks’ marquee player during the 2007-08 season.
That honor went to teammate Brandon Rush.
But when Chalmers hit that 3-point basket to breathe new life into a Jayhawk team that was on life support, he joined the rarefied air of the immortals.
Move over Wilt, step aside Danny – make room for Mr. Chalmers.
Chalmers was on one of the legs of his book-signing tour this past weekend at Johnny’s in Overland Park, Kan., signing “A Year to Remember,” a recollection of players, coaches, fans and others close to KU’s championship team.
Coach Bill Self wrote the foreword.
An hour into the session, Chalmers’ father, Ronnie, walked outside of Johnny’s, glanced at the line that wrapped around the building and shook his head.
“We’re going to have to cut this off,” he said.
He didn’t want anyone to show up and not the get the chance to get a signed copy of the book and shake the hand of the latest KU legend.
A young lady was given the unenviable job of going out and telling all the folks who came late that they would have to find another stop on the Chalmers’ book-singing caravan to get a signature.
“It’s kind of overwhelming,” said Ronnie Chalmers, an assistant KU coach. “A lot of people still remember that shot.”
And that season.
“I know you hear this all the time,” Grain Valley resident Erik Stone told Chalmers after standing in line nearly two hours, “but that shot made us proud. Thanks.”
Chalmers grinned.
“I can’t hear that enough,” he said, as he slid the signed Sports Illustrated across the table to Stone.
“I hope to hear that the rest of my life.”