Chris Herren

Christopher Albert Herren (born September 27, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player and motivational speaker. He played in the NBA and several leagues overseas.

Chris Herren
Personal information
Born (1975-09-27) September 27, 1975
Fall River, Massachusetts
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High schoolB.M.C. Durfee
(Fall River, Massachusetts)
College
NBA draft1999 / Round: 2 / Pick: 33rd overall
Selected by the Denver Nuggets
Playing career1999–2006
PositionPoint guard
Career history
1999–2000Denver Nuggets
2000–2001Boston Celtics
2001Skipper Bologna
2002Galatasaray
2002–2003Beijing Ducks
2003–2004Jiangsu Dragons
2004Energy Braunschweig
2005Paykan
2006Anwil Wloclawek
Career highlights and awards

College basketball

Boston College, 1994

Herren turned down offers from The University of Kentucky and Duke University to play at Boston College.[3] Entering Boston College, Herren was featured in multiple magazines such as Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated, hyping his possible success.[4] Before playing, Herren failed a drug test for marijuana and cocaine use.[1] On November 25, 1994, in his first game for Boston College, Herren scored 14 points in 21 minutes of playing time,[5] but broke his wrist and was ruled out for the entire 1994–1995 season. Within three months of his injury, Herren failed two more drug tests for marijuana and cocaine use, and was subsequently expelled from the team and the university.[4]

Fresno State, 1995–1999

After being kicked out of Boston College, Herren transferred to Fresno State to play basketball under coach Jerry Tarkanian. After sitting out a year, per NCAA transfer rules, Herren made his debut, as a sophomore, on December 10, 1996, for the Bulldogs.[4] During his sophomore year, Herren averaged 31 points per game over his last four games and finished the season averaging 17.5 ppg. On November 25, 1997, Herren was found to have failed another drug test. After going to a rehabilitation center for 28 days, Herren returned to the team on January 10, 1998.[3] During his senior season, Herren scored 29 points in the second round of the Great Alaska Shootout against No. 1 ranked Duke. Fresno lost the game, 93–82, which was nationally televised. Overall, Herren played in 86 games at Fresno State where he averaged 15.1 points and 5.1 assists per game.[5]

Professional basketball, 1999–2006

After his senior year at Fresno State, Herren entered the NBA draft and was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the second round with the 33rd overall pick.[5] The following year as a member of the Boston Celtics, Herren received his first time as a regular starter. After starting 2–3, coach Rick Pitino inserted him into the starting lineup. He started seven games in a row, resulting in a 4–3 record while playing 29 minutes per night. He was later released by the Celtics. Herren ended up playing 70 games from 1999 to 2001 as a member of the Nuggets and Celtics. Overall, he averaged 3.2 points and 2.4 assists per game for his NBA career.[5]

Herren went to play professionally for teams in Italy, Poland, Turkey, China, Germany and Iran.[4] Herren once scored 63 points in a CBA game for the Beijing Ducks.

NBA season statistics

Season Age Team Pos Games MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% 2P 2PA 2P% FT FTA FT% TRB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
1999-00 24 Den PG 45 13.3 1.0 2.8 .363 0.5 1.5 .358 .5 1.3 .368 0.6 0.9 .675 1.2 2.5 0.3 0 0.9 1.6 3.1
2000-01 25 Bos PG 25 16.3 1.2 3.8 .302 0.6 2.2 .291 .5 1.6 .317 0.4 0.5 .750 0.8 2.2 0.6 0 0.8 1.7 3.3

[6]

Drug use

Herren struggled with substance use for much of his career.[3] While playing for the Boston Celtics, Herren started to use painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin, and Percocet.[4] In December 2007, Herren was charged with possession of heroin in the parking lot of a Dunkin' Donuts in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.[7] In June 2008 in Fall River, Massachusetts, Herren overdosed on heroin and crashed into a utility pole. According to paramedics, he had been dead for thirty seconds.[8]

Recovery

After completing intensive rehabilitation programs, Herren has been alcohol and drug-free since August 1, 2008.[9] In June 2009, Herren launched Hoop Dreams with Chris Herren, a basketball player development company to mentor players on and off the court.[10] Herren has written a book with Providence Journal columnist Bill Reynolds entitled Basketball Junkie: A Memoir, documenting his career on and off the court. Basketball Junkie was released in May 2011.[11] In 2011, ESPN aired a documentary, Unguarded, directed by Jonathan Hock, based upon Herren's basketball career and drug-related issues. On March 20, 2012, it was announced that Unguarded had been nominated for two Emmys: Outstanding Sports Documentary and Outstanding Editing.[12] Herren now travels the United States sharing his story through Herren Talks[13] with the goal of making a positive difference in the lives of others. In 2011, Herren grew his vision of support for others when he founded the nonprofit Herren Project.[14] Through the organization, Herren and his team empower schools and communities to make healthy choices, while also guiding families through recovery. In 2018, he also founded Herren Wellness,[15] a residential health and wellness program that helps guests lead healthy, substance-free lives.

Herren Talks

Chris Herren has spoken to over one million students, athletes and community members, sparking honest discussions on the topics of substance use disorder and wellness. As a person in long-term recovery since 2008, he continues to share his story nationally with a renewed focus on prevention education and challenging audiences to rethink how we look at the disease of addiction; changing the focus from the last day to the first.

Herren Project

Founded in 2011, Herren Project helps individuals and family members find treatment and support for the disease of addiction. Herren Project has become part of a larger community that guides individuals and their families through recovery working to break the stigma of addiction, bring awareness to the dangers of substance use and encourage positive decision-making to navigate life’s challenges.[14]

Herren Wellness

Herren Wellness is a residential substance use, health, and wellness organization for men and women with the focus on guiding guests through a process of self-discovery. Helping individuals uncover why they turn to unhealthy behaviors or substances, and give them the tools they need to live healthy, authentic, and substance-free lives. The holistic recovery approach offers structured daily services for guests that focus on eight key elements of health and wellness.[15]

Notes
  1. Johnson, Jennifer. "From Basketball Star to Junkie". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
  2. Herren has it all, by Pat Bigold, Star-Bulletin, published February 26, 1999
  3. Unguarded. Dir. Jonathan Hock. Team Marketing, 2011. DVD.
  4. Reynolds, Bill (2012). Basketball Junkie: A Memoir. St. Martin's Griffin.
  5. "Chris Herren". Retrieved October 23, 2012.
  6. "Chris Herren". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
  7. Hoop Dreams Deferred: The Sad Tale of Chris Herren, The Heights, published December 4, 2006
  8. Wojnarowski, Adrian. "Herren's bio shows dark side". Yahoo. Archived from the original on December 10, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
  9. Changing of the Guard: Finally Clean and Sober, Herren Ready To Embrace Post-Basketball Life, Boston.com, published May 31, 2009
  10. Transition Game, Newport Daily News, published July 29, 2009
  11. Book Details Rise of Celtics, South Coast Today, published November 13, 2010
  12. "THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES ANNOUNCES THE NOMINEES FOR THE 33RD ANNUAL SPORTS EMMY® AWARDS". Archived from the original on June 25, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  13. "Chris Herren: Motivational Speaker On Substance Use & Wellness". Herren Talks. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  14. "Addiction Recovery Non-Profit Organization". Herren Project. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
  15. "New England Drug Rehab & Treatment Center - HerrenWellness". Herren Wellness. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
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