He was a star on the basketball court and was recruited by nearly every basketball team in the country.
Chris Herren was at the top of his game, but that all took a drastic turn after he got involved in drugs– near death at some points in his life.
Today, he traveled to Westfield as he travels around the country talking to people about his drug abuse story.
“I think we have to break through the stigma of addiction, and I think we have to look at it through many different lenses. I think when it comes to addiction, we focus on the worst day, and forget the first day.”
You may recognize his name from his time with the Boston Celtics, however he now goes around the country talking to people about addiction and his story of nearly dying from several drug overdoses, hoping to spread awareness and erase the stigma.
“Heroin is a battle. There’s no doubt about it, but any addiction is, and it’s a process, and one I’m proud of, one I’m extremely blessed to be a part of.”
In his recovery, Herren founded the Herren Project, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people going through addiction.
“There’s many takeaways from a talk like this. Obviously my story is tragic at times, but there’s also hope in the end, not only for the person suffering, but the families around them as well.”
He gave details about his decisions in his life from growing up in Fall River Massachusetts to his first time using heroin, and takes his audience on his journey through his sobriety.
“If I can get out there and get in front of people and share my story openly and honestly with transparency, I think it inspires others to do the same.”