Former NBA basketball player Chris Herren spoke to the RHS student body Wednesday afternoon.  Mr. Herren battled a 12 year drug addiction while in collegiate and professional basketball.  He has since emerged successfully, now devoting his life to speaking to young adults about his struggles.  His message conveyed hope and inner strength, inspiring RHS students to have the courage to make the right choice. 

Mr. Herren also spoke to the greater Rutland community in a special nighttime presentation.  He came to RHS thanks to the efforts and fundraising of RHS grads Matt Kinsman and Colin Fingon.

The Rutland High School community thanks Mr. Herren’s for his message and his inspiration. His biography follows:

CHRIS HERREN

FORMER NBA BASKETBALL PLAYER / AUTHOR

Chris Herren, a basketball legend from Fall River, Massachusetts, realized his dreams by playing for the Celtics in the NBA, only to lose it all to addiction before rising again with a new dream.

Herren’s basketball dreams began as a 6’2” guard at Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts. A member of the Durfee High School team chronicled in Bill Reynold’s book, Fall River Dreams, Herren excelled on the basketball court, becoming one of the top Division 1 prospects in the country. His high school highlights include 2,073 career points, Gatorade New England Player of the Year 1993-1994, Boston Globe Massachusetts Player of the Year 1992-1994, and being a member of the 1994 McDonald’s All American team.

Attending Boston College his freshman year, he later transferred to California State University-Fresno to play for legendary coach Jerry Tarkanian. At Fresno State he was named to the All-WAC first team 1996 and 1997 and held school records in both assists and steals.

Herren’s basketball success concealed a darker side, and his dream soon became a nightmare of addiction—first alcohol, then cocaine, and finally heroin. His chaotic and often uncertain college career, plagued by drugs and rehab, led to the NBA; in 1999 he was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the NBA Draft as the 33rd pick overall. After a year with the Nuggets, Chris was traded to the Boston Celtics where he suffered a season-ending injury.

Trying to work his way back to the NBA, Herren played overseas until 2003 when he came back to the States. His alcohol and drug use escalated until he was found unconscious with a heroin needle hanging from his arm in the driver’s seat of his car.

After extensive rehabilitation stays, Herren has been drug-free since June 4, 2008 and alcohol-free since August 1, 2008. Herren has refocused his life and dreams to put his sobriety and family above all else.

In June of 2009, he launched a basketball player development company, Hoop Dreams with Chris Herren, Inc. Since the summer of 2009, Herren has trained over 200 basketball players including some of the top basketball prospects in New England. Off the court he continues to share his story with audiences in the hopes of reaching just one person and making a difference in their life.

In May of 2011 his memoir, Basketball Junkie written with Bill Reynolds, will be released followed by a film documentary on ESPN scheduled for the fall of 2011.