Fall River, Mass., native Chris Herren may be remembered more for his fall from grace off the court than his talent on the court, but that fate is one he is making sure no one else has to suffer.
ESPN’s documentary Unguarded highlights the Durfee High School standout’s rise to stardom and his struggles with drug abuse through the prism of his words of wisdom, which he consistently imparts on anyone who will listen.
After being selected to the McDonald’s All-American Team in 1994, Herren was a sure star in the Northeast, and chose to attend Boston College over the option of several other basketball powerhouses.
He squandered his talents and his opportunities by abusing alcohol, cocaine and several other drugs during a downward spiral that was full of peaks and valleys — the former coming on the court, the latter coming off it. He transferred to Fresno State to play for Jerry Tarkanian and the Bulldogs, but couldn’t escape his life of abuse. It followed him through college to the NBA draft — where he was selected by the Denver Nuggets — and all the way through a short 70-game NBA career.
But it didn’t stop there.
After that life led him around the world with stops in Italy, Turkey, China and Germany and included four overdoses, the former Boston Celtics guard has finally found himself, and he has done so in helping others do so before they find themselves in the same position.
Watch a clip of the documentary in the video below.
