Former NBA player and Fresno State alumnus Chris Herren returned to campus on Feb. 19 to share his recovery story, opening up about overcoming addiction and the struggles that came along with it.
The event kicked off at 6 p.m. in the Ruiz Ballroom at the Resnick Student Union, where Miranda Rogers, the prevention and recovery specialist at the Student Health and Counseling Center (SHCC), opened up the floor by sharing recovery resources at the SHCC available to students on campus before passing it over to Herren.
Herren, who has shared his story all over the country over the last 15 years, reflected back on his first time ever abusing substances. Herren’s first taste of drugs occurred at Boston College, where he first used cocaine with his roommate and two girls he hadn’t met, being told that one time wouldn’t hurt.
“At 18, I believed them, so I did it,” Herren said. “I promised myself one time, one line. Little did I know that one line would take me 14 years.”
This one use later caused him to get expelled from campus after a random drug test came back positive. Looking for a fresh start, Herren moved 3,108 miles from Boston College to Fresno State after former basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian gave him an opportunity to play for the ‘Dogs.
“I hoped for a coach to give me a chance,” Herren said. “It came from Jerry Tarkanian. He believed in me and wanted to give me one more chance.”
Despite his off-the-court struggles, Herren was selected 33rd overall in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, where he found two teammates who helped guide him through his sobriety. He described constantly being reminded by them of the opportunity in front of him, and having the best season of his career up as just a rookie.
Substances still found their way to Herren during the offseason, back at his family home in Boston, where a childhood friend introduced him to OxyContin.
After the following season, Herren was let go and went on to play professionally in Italy, where his OxyContin withdrawals led him to try heroin for the first time, instantly getting hooked on it.
“I was so sick and having withdrawals,” Herren said. “I didn’t know how to buy Oxy in Italy, so I just pointed to my arm. I just need something until I can get some pills. I didn’t care what it was.”
Herren described himself as a “street junkie,” being an intravenous drug user by the age of 24. He recounted spending up to $20,000 a month on his addiction and suffering multiple overdoses, one leading to him hitting a pedestrian on the road with his car while unconscious.
Halfway through his talk, Herren paused to address an audience member in the crowd who appeared to laugh while he discussed relapsing after the birth of his child. Visibly frustrated, Herren called the individual out, reminding the crowd of the seriousness of substance addiction before continuing.
“Check yourself, man,” Herren said. “That’s embarrassing. People are dying on the street because of this, and you’re laughing. It could even be people you know personally.”
Herren also spoke about how his addiction affected his role as a father.
“For the last 17 years, the biggest gift I’ve been able to give is to be the dad I wish I had for my kids,” Herren said.
Herren also reflected back on how Fresno State and the Fresno community played a major role in helping him through his recovery, embracing him during his darkest moments.
“I showed up to this town at 19 years old, lost, and this campus embraced me,” Herren said. “I truly believe with all my heart I stand here as a father, a son and a friend because of Fresno State.”
He closed the event by encouraging the crowd to reflect on their lives, asking anyone who’s ever used substances if the version people see above the surface is the real version of them. He stated that substance use and addiction often hide in plain sight and that drugs change who you are.
“The scariest thing about addiction at this age is no one knows who has it,” Herren said.
The event ended shortly after, with resource tables set up for students who were looking to be more informed about help on campus, as well as food and drinks for attendees to take on the way out.
