Mario Chalmers waved at a somewhat shy Special Olympian, beckoning for the athlete to join him on the Allen Fieldhouse court.

“You’re on my team,” Chalmers, Kansas University’s freshman guard, said soothingly, placing a Jayhawk practice jersey over the head of the reluctant youngster who started to smile the moment a basketball was placed in his hands.

Chalmers and his KU teammates dished out hugs, handshakes and high-fives to more than 100 Special Olympians of all ages, who Sunday ventured to Lawrence a day after KU’s 73-46 pounding of Kentucky.

It was hard to tell who was having more fun at KU’s 22nd-annual Special Olympics clinic, the Olympians or the Jayhawks.

“A little kid dunked on me,” Chalmers said, standing near a lowered goal. “One of the kids dunked on coach (Danny) Manning and said, ‘On your head.’

Freshman Julian Wright, right, demonstrates a dribbling drill during the Wilt Chamberlain Special Olympics Clinic. About 100 participants from around the state attended the camp Sunday afternoon camp in Allen Fieldhouse.

“This has been a good day. It’s extra-special because of the victory yesterday, (but) either way, we’d have come out to have fun with the kids.”

KU freshman Julian Wright, who had six points, five rebounds and three assists against Kentucky on Saturday, was in a great mood Sunday, as always sharing the basketball.

“We’re making sure everybody gets some shots up,” Wright said. “We’re having a blast. Coming here after a big game like yesterday, having fellowship with everybody here is rewarding.

“We’re opening our hearts to the them, and they are opening them to us. It’s fun to work with all the kids who follow us.”

Several of the Special Olympians and their parents – who came from Lawrence, Axtell, Leawood, Olathe, Ottawa, Parsons, Salina and Wichita – went out of their way to congratulate Saturday’s biggest hero on a job well done.

Freshman Julian Wright and C.J. Giles, back center, break the huddle with their group.

“A couple of people here were saying, ‘Great game, great game,”’ said Brandon Rush, who burned Kentucky for a career-best 24 points and 12 rebounds. “It feels good. I’m laughing, having a great time.”

KU coach Bill Self said it was a “perfect way to spend a Sunday. You can tell there’s a lot of happy faces here today. It doesn’t have anything to do with us beating Kentucky yesterday.

“Our guys do a great job with this, jumping in head first. It’s great to see smiles on the athletes’ faces when they make a shot or dunk on our guys.”

Or dunk on the coach.

Self, who played college ball at Oklahoma State, took the court and had no luck stopping any drives to the hoop.

“They kept picking on me. My prowess isn’t what it used to be. Guys were scoring at me at will,” Self said.

Kansas University's Matt Kleinmann, left, stretches with Kyle Stanley of Olathe during the Wilt Chamberlain Special Olympics Clinic. The clinic was Sunday in Allen Fieldhouse.

Richard Herries of Lawrence, whose son participated at the clinic, expressed thanks to KU’s players and coaches.

“This is phenomenal,” Herries said. “All the athletes have big hearts. I look out there and couldn’t find one (KU) player not enjoying what he was doing. They were great.”

Herries hopes the players realize how important they are to the Special Olympians.

“A couple years ago, my son was understanding there were some differences between himself and some other people and was going downhill with it. This pumped him right back up immediately, put a smile on his face,” Herries said.

The clinic, which three years ago was named the Wilt Chamberlain Basketball Clinic, is funded by Chamberlain’s estate. The ex-Jayhawk big man donated $650,000 to KU, with $150,000 earmarked for KU’s efforts with Special Olympics.