Essay on Chris Herren Basketball Junkie to Mentor

Chris Herren: Basketball Junkie to Mentor With drugs everywhere in this world, Chris Herren became what he never believed he would; a drug addict. Chris grew up in a poor family in Fall River, MA and could have become a NBA star. He was predicted to be the number 1 pick in the NBA draft if he was clean. Now, not even the highs of his NCAA and NBA career will cover up what he has done to his life. The life of Christopher Albert Herren is a true example of how a person can overcome a struggle and then make an impact in society. Chris Herren was born on September 7, 1975. He attended and graduated Durfee High School from 1990-1994, there he played basketball. â€Å"Chris Herren, Durfee High School basketball’s only 2,000-point career†¦show more content†¦When he was drafted into the NBA by the Denver Nuggets, the players knew about his drug issue. Therefore, they tried to help him stay on a clean path to a drug free life. His teammates would all take turns staying with him and making sure he didn’t drink or do any drugs. He was clean for over a year, however, that was all erased after he was traded to the Boston Celtics because he relapsed again. While with The Boston Celtics, Chris used painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin, and Percocent. He was released by the Boston Celtics because of a season ending knee injury. After he recovered from that injury, Chris went to play in Europe and Asia. There he would have dealers send packages of painkillers, so he would always have his drugs. However, he was caught using drugs and sent back to America. A few months later, in the parking lot of a Dunkin’ Donuts, Chris was found unconscious and was charged with possession of heroin and driving under the influence with a revoked license. Soon Chris started to purchase and use crystal meth. While under the influence of crystal meth, Chris overdosed and crashed his car into a utility pole. The paramedics on site at the accident said he was dead fo r thirty seconds. After that accident, Chris realized that what he was doing was destroying his life. He didn’t have a relationship with his children and his wife didn’t talk to him. The drug addict went to a rehabilitation