Chris Herren
To Hell and Back
As a boy growing up in Fall River, Massachusetts, playing basketball at Durfee High School is a dream. So many great players remembered, and their team banners hanging from the rafters. Children and teenagers hope and pray that one day they can be a part of one of those teams that will continue the legacy of those before them. Many times it is to follow in the footsteps of their brother, father, grandfather or even a cousin or uncle. They want to make them proud and prove that they were someone at Durfee High School.
Chris Herren was born on September 27, 1975 in Fall River, Massachusetts. His whole family grew up in Fall River and attended Durfee High School. His father and grandfather played basketball at Durfee and were known around town as a good players in their time. Herren’s brother, Michael, was also a great player at Durfee and led his team to two State Championships. Then Chris came along and everyone knew that he was going to be the best there ever was at Durfee. He was going to be the one to really put Fall River and Durfee High School on the map. Chris was a future success story, and people from Fall River would live through him and his legacy for years to come. Chris Herren was going to change their lives through his talents on the basketball court.
As everyone expected Chris went on to score over 2,000 points in his career at Durfee and was named a McDonald’s All American in 1994. He was also named Massachusetts Player of the Year by the Boston Globe in 1992, 1993, and 1994, and Gatorade New England Player of the Year in 1993 and 1994. Chris had lived up to what was expected of him and had become a local hero. On the court, everyone knew exactly what he was capable of, but off the court there were many things that people did not know about Chris. For years, the Durfee basketball team had a tradition of being contenders for the State Championship. They also had a tradition of partying, drinking, and doing drugs after their victories. This became the norm for these young men and they just saw it as tradition and having fun. However, they did not realize how this could affect them and perhaps their local “hero.”
As Chris was approaching graduation it was time for him to make a decision where he was going to college to continue his basketball career. He had offers from powerhouses such as Duke and Kentucky but he turned them down to play for his local Boston College. Everyone thought this was great because he would be close to home and everyone could go watch him play. However, being close to home would end up being something that would haunt Chris for the rest of his career.
Chris playing at Fresno State
Chris admits that he began drinking and smoking marijuana at the age of fifteen. He also admits that the first time he used cocaine was within his first couple of weeks at Boston College. This led to him failing a drug test prior to his first game at Boston College and then failing two more tests within the next two months. He was kicked off of the basketball team and out of the university because of this and attended Fresno State the following year. He made his debut at Fresno State in 1996 and instantly became the star and a fan favorite. However, one year later he failed another drug test and was sent to a rehabilitation center. Claiming he had recovered, Chris returned to the team and went on to finish his college career at Fresno State.
Now finished with college, Chris entered the NBA draft and was hoping to be selected in the first round. Fall River was on edge anticipating him being drafted and making to the NBA. He was finally selected by the Denver Nuggets at the end of the first round and Fall River erupted. They had a town party and Chris came to give a speech. Everyone was overwhelmed that Chris had finally made it and became what they had all anticipated. Chris played very well his first year in Denver and his career looked promising, as well as his sobriety. Then a trade took place that would change his life forever. He had been traded to favorite childhood team, the Boston Celtics. Once again, Chris would get the opportunity to play at home and be close to his family and friends.
Chris playing for the Boston Celtics
Within weeks of being traded to the Celtics, Chris was introduced to Oxycontin by one of his long-time friends and everything slipped away. He had become addicted and his life became about getting high instead of basketball and his family. Chris played one year for the Celtics and was eventually released. He went and played overseas for years where he was introduced to heroin and became addicted to that. His life had fallen apart and he eventually lost all his money and his basketball career. Chris was arrested several times over the next couple of years and was even pronounced dead for thirty seconds from an overdose of heroin. With a wife, two children, and a third on the way he finally decided to get sober and went to rehab for the final time. He successfully finished rehab and has been sober since August 1, 2008.
All the dreams that Chris and Fall River had were gone and basketball was a thing of the past. He was no longer a hero, but just some guy who had it all and let it slip away in the blink of an eye. Chris would always be remembered as the drug addict who let everyone down and crushed Fall River’s aspirations for basketball greatness. He could move and go hide from everyone and everything that reminded him of his past. He could leave it all behind him and forget who he used to be. But he didn’t. Chris Herren has gone on to help others and make them aware of the obstacles people must face in every day life. Whether, it is a promising Division I athlete or a junkie in prison he has spoken to them all. He has told his story over and over again because he believes if it can just change one person’s life for the better than he has made a difference. Everyone said he was destined for greatness and that he would change people’s lives, but they never thought it be like this.