Boston Celtics: 15 players you forgot played for the Celtics

12. Chris Herren

For those of you who don’t know, Chris Herren is a basketball legend from the rough city of Fall River, Massachusetts. Herren was a McDonald’s All American in 1994 and is the current scoring leader in B.M.C. Durfee high school with 2,073 career points. He also earned the titles of Boston Globe Player of the Year as well as Gatorade Player of the Year.

As a native of Massachusetts, Herren declined many offers from the great programs that Duke and Kentucky had to offer him and chose to play for Boston College. Herren struggled with injuries and unfortunately drug use. Herren failed multiple drug tests while at Boston College that ultimately led him to being cut from the team and expelled from the college. If he wanted to pursue his basketball dreams, he was going to have to do it elsewhere.

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Herren was then able to transfer to Fresno State but was unable to play his first year of eligibility due to the NCAA student transfer rule. During his sophomore year, Herren re-established himself by scoring 17.5 points per game. Herren, again, failed another drug test that resulted in him having to go to a rehabilitation center to become sober and to be eligible to rejoin his team the following season. Herren finished his three years at Fresno State averaging 15.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game for his career.

In 1999, the Denver Nuggets selected the talented and impressive scorer in the second round of the draft (33rd overall). Herren appeared in 45 games for the Nuggets and scored 3.1 points per game for the season before being included in a four-team trade that sent Herren back home to Massachusetts to be part of the Boston Celtics the following year.

It’s unknown if his substance use progressed or regressed while with the Nuggets. But while on the Celtics, Herren was heavily involved in drugs and narcotics that ultimately led to his departure from the NBA to join basketball leagues in other countries like Italy, Turkey, China, Germany, Iran, and Poland.

Herren spent seven seasons playing overseas before officially retiring from basketball in 2006. Once he returned back home to the states, Herren unfortunately picked up on his old habits and became involved with drugs again. In 2007, Herren was arrested for possession of heroin and in 2008 he overdosed behind the wheel of his car and crashed into a telephone pole in Fall River.

Since that moment, Herren completely turned his life around and has been drug-free and completely sober for the last 12 years. Herren created a foundation and platform for himself as a basketball mentor one and off the court, as well as traveling the country to spread awareness and share his stories with the world. He has spoken his story to over one million people ranging from students, athletes, and just regular people in various communities.

Although his basketball career was cut short due to his own personal reasons, Herren’s stories and foundations are fascinating, interesting, impressive, and motivating to say the least.